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Sophie Middleton
California Institute of Technology
Statement
I am a Senior Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate at Caltech working on the Mu2e, LDMX and BABAR experiments. I came to Fermilab back in 2018 and I spend a large amount of time on- site. Since the day I arrived, I have embraced the opportunity to interact with, and become an active part of, the Fermilab Users Community. Although the pandemic has changed Fermilab, I hope in the coming year we can restore, as much as possible, it to the hub it once was. Fermilab remains at the forefront of US, and global, particle physics and offers a unique environment which, not only facilitates the sharing of scientific knowledge, but the active social side of the lab has always promoted collaboration and communication between all. I know we now face a new environment, with much tighter rules, but as part of User’s Executive Committee (UEC) I aim to work with the Directorate to ensure it remains one of the best places to work, and to minimize the effect these new constraints have on our daily lives.
I have already completed one term on the UEC. During that time, I was Deputy Chair (20-21) and Chair (21-22) of the Users Meeting Sub-committee. This involved spending many months planning the annual meeting. Under these very uncertain times I feel both the virtual 2021 and hybrid 2022 meetings were a success.
For my second term on the UEC I want to focus on improving the quality of life on-site. As many of us return to the campus I hear frequently that improvements are needed. Whether it be quality of life for those in the village, or improvements to access for those who are just visiting, I want to ensure that the voices of the community are listened to, and that there is transparency in the various processes involved in accessing the lab. Since finishing this year’s User’s Meeting I have been liaising with the current quality of life subcommittee members and plan to make this my focus during the next 2 years if elected. I want to restore Fermilab, as much as possible, to what it once was, a thriving community of particle physicists, and their families.
I am passionate about community engagement, and outreach. In addition to the UEC I have also been a Liaison to the Community Engagement Frontier for Snowmass. In the past I have organized conferences for High School students and Outreach events focusing on connecting Women and LGBTQ+ people in STEM. More recently I was featured in Dell Technologies Pride Perspectives for my work promoting LGBTQ+ visibility on social media. I plan to also play a role in the Outreach and Engagement sub-committee, restoring some on-site components of Saturday morning physics and providing other on-site experiences for local communities.
Whether you are a student, post-doc, scientist, or engineer, from any background, it is important that you feel able to partake in all aspects of Fermilab life. The User’s Executive Committee plays an important role in nurturing this community and promoting inclusion within the lab is vital. It is important that we empower early career scientists, women, LGBTQ+ individuals and minorities. Fermilab is home to many, in particular those coming from overseas, and it’s important that we embrace this multi- cultural atmosphere and make Fermilab somewhere we can all thrive.
It would be an excellent opportunity to be part of UEC for another term and help shape the future of Fermilab.