Our People

We are a diverse team with a collaborative sense of purpose

Computing is a team of 1,000 smart, collaborative, innovative people who are inspired by working on advanced, game-changing solutions to some of the world’s most difficult problems. They’re world-renowned experts, mothers and fathers, award winners, strategic thinkers, sports enthusiasts, globetrotters, and lifelong learners—people whose personal values motivate them to make a difference in the world.

Learn more below about some of the people who make up our team.

Game-changers sought

We’re looking for smart, ambitious and driven people to contribute their talent to some of the toughest challenges around.

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Jorge Escobar

Jorge Escobar

Software Developer

For anyone thinking of pursuing a degree while working full time, I would say start now. It’s probably going to take longer than you plan, so the sooner you start, the sooner it’s done.

I also encourage people to speak to their supervisors about their educational goals. All my management over the years was supportive and willing to work with my school schedule to help me reach my goal.

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Cindy Gonzales

Cindy Gonzales

Data Scientist

Transitioning from one job to a completely different one is uniquely challenging. I took it one step at a time. Looking back to the start of this journey, I am so happy things lined up the way they did and that I had the mettle to continue.

Data science is a diverse field, which makes it both exciting and challenging. You need a background in many different areas such as computer science plus domain knowledge. These skills will open doors to other scientific domains.

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Ramesh Pankajakshan

Ramesh Pankajakshan

Computational Scientist

My first exposure to HPC was on the Cray XMP in 1993. Livermore Computing is involved in so many aspects of the HPC simulation space that there is no chance of your work day getting routine. There are too many interesting problems to solve, and selecting the ones to focus on is not always easy.

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Jayaraman Thiagarajan

Jayaraman Thiagarajan

Computer Scientist

My foot is constantly on the pedal to find the next big problem to solve. Generating new ideas is easy with all the great minds at the Lab. We have to move quickly in data science, and people who are interested in pushing boundaries can get ahead of the research pace.

I can do highly impactful research at the Lab and work on challenging problems firsthand. In other environments, I might rarely even meet the scientists who generate the data I am building models with. Driven by the needs of scientific discovery, the problems are much better defined here.

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Ignacio Laguna

Ignacio Laguna

Computer Scientist

I perform research on high performance computing (HPC). My work focuses on making HPC system and applications more reliable. The Lab’s work directly impacts the safety of the country, so it is rewarding that the work I do somehow helps the Lab accomplish its defense and safety missions.

Outside work, I enjoy live music, reading, and spending time with my family.

Sam Jacobs

Sam Jacobs

Computer Scientist

I do research focusing on scalable machine learning and big data analytics with applications in cancer drug discovery, global nuclear nonproliferation analysis, and more. I was drawn to LLNL because of its focus on high-impact (big science) problems and the availability of (human, hardware, and software) resources to address these problems.

Out of office, I spend time with my wife and our two young daughters (playing games and teaching them AI). That is keeping us busy…until they are teenagers and don’t want Dad in their business!

Greg Becker

Greg Becker

Computer Scientist

I work with both researchers and code developers, and I like that I’m not focused solely on software development. It’s rare to have an undergraduate degree and still be involved with, and contribute to, research.

In 2018, I visited Switzerland, France, and England on behalf of LLNL. I met with teams who use Spack at their institutions, many of whom are major contributors to the software. While in France, I got to see the national team win a World Cup semifinal match.

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Rushil Anirudh

Rushil Anirudh

Research Scientist

I studied signal processing as an undergraduate while being interested in image and photo editing. This eventually led me to computer vision since it was a natural transition to getting a computer to do the image analysis. Now I work on research projects in machine learning, computer vision, and high-dimensional data analysis.

Machine learning is a very exciting research area with an explosion of ideas and techniques. The field is experiencing a gold rush right now. There’s so much to discover and many unanswered questions to explore.

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portrait of Kirk Sylvester

Kirk Sylvester

Security Training Coordinator

This is my second time working at the Lab. I worked in Global Security from 2003 to 2012, then came back in 2016 after completing my education. I like the Lab’s freedom and flexibility. I’m trusted to do my work and make progress in it. Now that I’m managing people, I’m taking leadership courses to hone those skills.

I’ve been to many countries all over the world, and I take pictures along the way. I like to have an open mind and experience different cultures. One of the most eye-opening things a person can do is travel.

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Portrait of Marisa Torres

Marisa Torres

Senior Bioinformatics Software Developer

Before coming to LLNL, I wanted to be a medical doctor. I’m confident my bioinformatics career has allowed me to have a larger impact on biosecurity and public health than I would have had as a doctor.

Bioinformatics was an early field when I started at LLNL, and genomic data and tools were limited. It’s been amazing to witness the field’s growth during my career. Bioinformatics requires the data science skills of computer science and statistics as well as biological domain knowledge to interpret the analysis.

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Portrait of Gordon Lau

Gordon Lau

Industrial and Safety Controls Team Leader

I lead a team of developers responsible for the design, development, programming, and implementation of the industrial controls and safety systems required by the National Ignition Facility (NIF). These systems create the proper operating environment for NIF’s lasers and diagnostic instrumentation and mitigate potential hazards to equipment and personnel.

I cannot over-emphasize the excitement of working on cutting-edge research, with smart people and teams, to achieve what many may think is impossible or science fiction.

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Joshua Senecal

Joshua Senecal

Computer Scientist

I help keep the world’s most advanced laser facility functioning efficiently. My team develops techniques and software systems to analyze images of the optical elements of each of the 192 laser beamlines. Our systems extend the lifetimes of the optics by finding flaws on the optic surface and identifying those that need to be repaired.

The biggest advantage of working at the Laboratory is the great work–life balance. As a husband and father, I can work an honest day and then devote time to my family.

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Elsa Gonsiorowski

Elsa Gonsiorowski

System Software Developer

Using input/output (I/O) tools, I work to make Livermore’s supercomputers perform better. With more and more data being used in more and more applications, we can’t afford a system-wide crash. I enjoy developing tools such as tracing libraries to mitigate performance risks, and I look forward to publishing this work so that the Laboratory’s high performance computing efforts can help the I/O field as a whole.

Livermore provides the perfect blend of academia and industry. Developers like me can balance cutting-edge research and production-level software with real users.

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Marisol Gamboa

Marisol Gamboa

Computer Scientist

The moment I wrote and executed my first program on a computer, I felt this sense of power. It was a different world for me, where I had the power to make it do anything. It was that moment I knew I wanted to become a computer scientist.

What I enjoy most about being a computer scientist at the Lab is that my work is used to support an important mission. I wear many hats in my work here at the Laboratory. As a principal investigator, I enjoy working with researchers and pushing technology to explore techniques and methodologies that have not been proved. As an associate division leader, I enjoy challenging, influencing and nurturing computer scientists in their career endeavors.

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William Hill

William Hill

Software Engineer

I am a software engineer working on data visualization projects for Global Security. I like the constant challenge of the Lab—I see how much more I’ve learned and how my skills have increased.

I enjoy staying active and giving back to the community. During the week, I teach at a coding bootcamp for women known as the Hackbright Academy. I’m also engaged in other outreach activities as well as Lab recruiting events. I feel it’s important to give others, particularly minorities, opportunities in technology fields.

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Juan Ramos

Juan Ramos

IT Specialist

I’m part of a desktop support team that deploys and sets up computers for users and keeps the computers updated. We troubleshoot and resolve desktop issues, and replace computers that have reached the end of their lifecycle. The biggest perks of the job for me are being able to help people and learn new things. Additionally, working at the Lab provides many opportunities to learn about matters beyond the scope of your duties.

I completed the last classes to earn my bachelor’s degree while I was employed at the Lab. I used public transportation so that I could read and study during my commute.

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Carol Woodward portrait

Carol Woodward

Nonlinear Solvers and Differential Equations Project Leader

I work with scientists who simulate various physical phenomena to solve their mathematical models accurately and efficiently on state-of-the-art high performance computers. My work focuses on the mathematical methods and in particular how we find the solution to problems whose solutions evolve in time and have components dependent on each other (nonlinearities).

Outside of work, I like to play classical guitar.

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Julia Ramirez

Julia Ramirez

Software Developer

I help LLNL’s Environmental Restoration Department automate and streamline their processes for preparing reports and responding to audits. I love being able to apply software development to environmental restoration efforts. Being part of something positive is a wonderful feeling, even if it’s just cleaning up a small part of world.

Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, wine tasting, attending music festivals and concerts, spending time in my garden, and playing the ukulele.

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Portrait of LLNL postdoc Tapasya Patki

Tapasya Patki

Postdoctoral Researcher

I study how applications and system performance can be optimized in future, power-constrained supercomputing environments.

The biggest perk of my job is that I get to interact, work with, and learn from some of the best researchers in the world! Additionally, knowing that my research has a high-impact factor and is contributing toward major advances in computer science is very satisfying.

Outside of work, I love reading, traveling, and playing my violin.

Portrait of David Beckingsale

David Beckingsale

Postdoctoral Researcher

Using smart models and brand-new computer hardware, I work to make the scientific simulations used by researchers at the Lab run as fast as possible, enabling more scientific discovery in less time. When the software I’m developing works as it should, it’s incredibly satisfying.

When I’m not working, I try and make the most of the fantastic weather and rock climbing opportunities here in California. A friend and I recently climbed Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

portrait of Dean Williams

Dean Williams

Climate Data Scientist

I lead and provide the vision for several international climate data collaborations, including the Earth System Grid Federation. I’m also the lead computer scientist for Livermore’s climate program, where I design and develop data analysis and visualization tools to support high-level modeling.

I love what I do. I truly work at an awesome place with awesome colleagues.

In my free time, I coach track at the high school and youth level. In high school, I was one of the premier track athletes in California.

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Portrait of LLNL's Peter Robinson

Peter Robinson

Scientific Software Engineer

I convince some of the world’s largest supercomputers to run one of the world’s most advanced simulation codes in service of our national interest.

At LLNL, I get to work with a lot of really smart people on extremely challenging problems in a really cool application space. Plus, being able to play on some of the world’s largest supercomputers without writing any grants is a huge perk.

I once got to be on NPR’s Car Talk program, during which Click and Clack (Tom and Ray Magliozzi) justifiably called me a knucklehead for allowing my car to be frozen to the street in Boulder, CO.

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Portrait of Greg Lee, LLNL computer scientist

Greg Lee

Computer Scientist

I help scientists make sure their simulations run correctly and efficiently on LLNL’s supercomputers. This involves interacting with the code developers and users, working on the simulation codes, supporting third-party tools, and developing our own in-house tools. The goal is to maximize our users’ productivity and ultimately to facilitate good science towards the laboratory’s mission.

Prior to joining the lab, I was a professional tennis player and coach, at one point ranked 1326 in the world. I also recreationally enjoy other sports such as basketball, ultimate Frisbee, and bicycling. Other hobbies include cooking, hiking, and photography.

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Punita Sinha

Punita Sinha

Computer Scientist and Group Leader

I work with and manage a team of computer scientists who work in software development on large multi-physics codes. These codes model real-world physical phenomenon with sets of mathematical equations. Simulation software allows us to mimic an experiment, the way animation simulates real-world situations or characters in a movie. Since these problems can take days, weeks, or months to run, we speed them up by running pieces in parallel on hundreds of thousands of computer processors—think of your iPhone as a single processor. What is exciting is that we work with state-of-the-art supercomputers, such as Sequoia.

Outside of work, I enjoy gardening, interior decoration, and crafts.

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Portrait of Olga Pearce, computer scientist at LLNL

Olga Pearce

Computer Scientist

I am a computer scientist working on speeding up simulations that run on supercomputers. I get to work on real problems, and my work impacts cutting-edge science.

I am an avid runner. Running lets me enjoy the outdoors, and gives me yet another outlet to be competitive and challenge myself.

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