09/04/2026
Meet Prithak Bhattarai, Summer 2026 Lee Teng Fellow in the Physics Division at Argonne National Laboratory. Prithak is pursuing a double major in Bachelor of Science in Physics and Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from UTA’s College of Science and is expected to graduate in 2028.
As a recipient of the highly competitive, 10-week Lee Teng Undergraduate Fellowship in accelerator science and technology, Prithak takes on significant research responsibilities focused on studying failure modes and recovery scenarios in superconducting proton and ion linear accelerators. His day-to-day work involves learning the fundamentals of accelerator and beam physics, contributing to complex simulation and analysis work, and helping evaluate methods for fast accelerator re-tuning after a system failure. Additionally, Prithak is exploring the development and testing of AI and machine learning tools for accelerator operation and control, culminating in a comprehensive summer research paper and final presentation.
At UTA, Prithak already contributes to massive global physics experiments within the HEP Lab of Dark Matter and Advanced Detector Development—including the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) and the Dark Matter Searches at Accelerators (DAMSA) Experiment. This fellowship allows him to beautifully bridge his campus background in detector assembly and GEANT4/ROOT simulations with large-scale accelerator design and operation. Looking ahead, he plans to apply these advanced simulation and AI/ML skills to his ongoing research at UTA, solidifying his interest in pursuing graduate school and a long-term research career in experimental physics and accelerator science.
Reflecting on his journey, Prithak shared, “I would recommend participating in an internship because it helps students connect what they learn in class with real research and professional work. It also gives students a chance to build confidence, learn from mentors, explore career interests, and understand what kind of work they want to pursue in the future. As this is my first internship, I've realized how important it is to prepare early by reviewing project backgrounds, programming languages like Python, and simulation methods before starting.”
Congratulations and best of luck, Prithak!
