Dr. Mayda Velasco

Professor

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Biography

Mayda Velasco is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University and the Director of the COFI Institute (Instituto de Cosmologia y Fisica de las Americas). She earned her PhD from Northwestern University in 1995, focusing on the experimental study of the proton spin crisis and became a member of the Spin Muon Collaboration at CERN. In 1996, she won a CERN Fellowship and became part of the scientific staff at CERN, where she contributed significantly to the NA48 Collaboration to understand the electroweak sector's CP violation, an essential aspect in addressing the mystery of matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. Velasco has led the NA59 experiment at CERN, notably developing methods to use aligned crystals for producing polarized photon beams. Her research interests encompass precision measurements in particle physics, particularly concerning rare decays and the properties of the Higgs boson. She plays a pivotal role in the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, where she aims to uncover rare decays of the heaviest quark and the newly discovered Higgs boson. She has over 500 peer-reviewed publications and has received numerous accolades, including the Sloan Fellowship and the CERN Achievement Award.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

2011-01-01 — Present

Northwestern University • Evanston, Illinois

Full Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Associate Professor

2005-01-01 — 2011-01-01

Northwestern University • Evanston, Illinois

Served as Associate Professor at Northwestern University.

Assistant Professor

1999-01-01 — 2005-01-01

Northwestern University • Evanston, Illinois

Served as Assistant Professor at Northwestern University.

CERN Scientific Research Staff

1998-01-01 — 1999-01-01

CERN • Geneva, Switzerland

Conducted research as part of CERN's scientific staff.

Awards

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CERN Achievement Award

1996-01-01
#

Sloan Fellowship

2005-01-01
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Woodrow Wilson Fellowship (Mellon Foundation)

2005-01-01

Requirements for Northwestern University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
U.S. Bachelor's degree or equivalent
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Statement of purpose
  • Resume/CV
  • TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable)
Specialization Notes

Standard PhD requirements for TGS departments including Chemistry, Physics, and Sociology.