Jennifer Raaf
, Neutrino Division, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Research Focus
Research Interests
About Jennifer
Jennifer L. Raaf is a Senior Scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). She studies neutrinos to understand how they fit into our best description of the universe. The underground locations of many neutrino experiments also enable searches for extremely rare processes like proton decay, which if observed, would be evidence that the forces governing particle interactions at energies we’re capable of studying are actually unified at much higher energies. Different “grand unified theories” tying together the strong, weak and electromagnetic forces make a range of predictions about how long protons take to decay
Raaf has been at Fermilab since 2011, building, operating, and analyzing data from neutrino detectors. She is a spokesperson for the LArIAT experiment, and currently serves as head of the DUNE Department in Neutrino Division. She also participates in the MicroBooNE and Super-Kamiokande experiments.
Honors
2016 - Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
2016 - DOE Early Career Research Award
2011 - Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow
2003 - University of Cincinnati, Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship
Education
Postdoc
Kearns group, Boston University, 07/2005 - 12/2010
Ph.D.
Physics, University of Cincinnati, 06/2005
Master's
Physics, University of Cincinnati, 03/2001
Bachelor's
Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 05/1997
