Public Events: Arts and Lecture Series

• Nov. 10, 2017, 8:00 pm US/Central
• Fermilab Ramsey Auditorium
• Various Speakers
• Tickets: $7
• Purchase tickets »

This event is sold out.   This year’s event will feature a twist: It’s a duo competition with pairing a student from the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy with a Fermilab scientist. Expect the same no-holds-barred, light-hearted competition, and the same mix of education and fun. Who will win the coveted prize of Slam Champ this year?

Our IMSA Contenders –

Dancing with the (Dead) Stars: A Cosmic Celebration of Discovery
Gunwati Agrawal and Cindy Joe.  Gunwati Agrawal is a senior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Besides physics, she enjoys studying philosophy, chemistry, and linguistics. In her free time, she reads science fiction. Cindy Joe is an engineering physicist, and manages Fermilab’s NuMI Underground experimental areas. She was a particle accelerator operator in Fermilab’s Main Control Room for many years; her 2015 Physics Slam described this experience. She attended Reed College, where she got her start running big science machines as a licensed nuclear reactor operator. When not pursuing the next big discovery, she enjoys cooking, reading, running, tinkering, and art. She’s completely obsessed with science outreach.

Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Cryptography is the Key to the Future
Abhiudaya Bhalla and Don Lincoln.  Abhiudaya Bhalla, a senior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy chose to come to IMSA when he realized he had a true passion for math and science – a fascination with how numbers and formulas can help us define the world, and an aspiration to be part of that. He plans to study applied mathematics and physics with his top university choices being Georgia Tech and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, because of their stellar mathematics curriculum. Outside of academics, Abhiudaya’s hobbies include public speaking, facilitating discussions on leadership, chess and representing the Indian culture through IMSA’s cultural club.  Dr. Don Lincoln has spent the last two decades doing research using the highest energy particle accelerator available – first the Fermilab Tevatron and now the CERN LHC.  Although he was a coauthor of both the top quark and Higgs boson discovery paper, his particular research passion is searching for even smaller building blocks than the known quarks and leptons.  He is an avid science popularizer, who has written many books and for such outlets as Scientific American, NOVA, and CNN.  He also produces short science videos hosted on the Fermilab YouTube channel.

Being Starstuff
Ranier Carlos Bravo and Chris Stoughton.  Rainier Carlos Bravo, or as he prefers, Rain, like the weather, is a senior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. He loves physics, though that seems self-evident, and is very interested in language and literature, especially creative fiction. Rain plans to apply to Yale, Stanford, and UIUC, among others, to study theoretical physics and computer science, with a possible minor in literature and is looking at programs that would allow him to continue and expand his research projects. In his free time he studies piano, programs historical computer games,and practices Filipino martial arts in honor of his heritage. Dr. Stoughton has worked on a variety of projects during his scientific career:  from neutrino oscillations, up to making maps of the Universe, and then down to measuring the quantum properties of spacetime at the smallest possible sizes.  He is currently working to “kick” muons to prepare them for a very precise measurement of their magnetic properties.  He is also building electronic systems for the next generation of cosmic microwave background radiation telescopes.  Always eager to share the secrets of the Universe to anyone who will listen, he is happy to be mentoring Rain for his Slam presentation.

Neutrinos:  Natures Transformers
Manny Favela and Minerba Betancourt.  Manny Favela, a senior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, has been interested in physics since 7^th grade. While he finds all aspects of physics cool, he is especially interested in particle physics. He hopes one day to work as a particle physicist pushing our knowledge of the building blocks of the universe farther than before. In his free time, a rarity as a senior, he enjoys cracking puzzles and hanging out with family and friends.  Minerba Betancourt earned her PhD at University of Minnesota, working on the NOvA neutrino experiment. After that she was a Post-doctoral researcher at Fermilab and she is currently a Wilson Fellow, working for the MINERvA neutrino experiment. Outside of the standard research and related duties, she is involved in outreach through the Saturday Morning program and mentoring high school, undergraduate and phD students. Betancourt grew up in Merida-Venezuela, while at home she was a teacher.