People Highlights | Computing

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. We’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, or check out people.llnl.gov for bios of many of our Computing team members.

Vanessa Sochat is building research software and open-source engagement

Computer scientist Vanessa Sochat isn’t afraid to meet new experiences head on. With a Stanford PhD and a jump-right-in attitude, she joined LLNL to work on the BUILD project, Spack package manager, and other open-source initiatives.

Careers | HPC Systems and Software | Open-Source Software | Software Build and Installation | Software Engineering

Called to a valuable function, Stephanie Brink streamlines the Lab’s code

Computing relies on engineers like Stephanie Brink to keep the legacy codes running smoothly. “You’re only as fast as your slowest processor or your slowest function,” says Brink, who works in CASC. By analyzing a legacy code’s performance, Brink and her team can reduce the amount of time it takes to run and allow for more critical science to be accomplished.

From intern to mentor, Nisha Mulakken builds a career in bioinformatics

Nisha Mulakken is advancing COVID-19 R&D and mentoring the next generation. “The opportunities we are exposed to early in our careers can shape the limits we place on ourselves and our approaches to challenges we encounter throughout our careers,” she says.

Bioinformatics | Careers | Data Science | Outreach

2020 Sidney Fernbach Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to Stefanie Guenther

Lawrence Livermore National Lab has named Stefanie Guenther as Computing’s fourth Sidney Fernbach Postdoctoral Fellow in the Computing Sciences. This highly competitive fellowship is named after LLNL’s former Director of Computation and is awarded to exceptional candidates who demonstrate the potential for significant achievements in computational mathematics, computer science, data science, or scientific computing.

Alyson Fox applies math to HPC and national security challenges

Alyson Fox is a math geek. She has three degrees in the subject—including a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Colorado at Boulder—and her passion for solving complex challenges drives her work at LLNL’s Center for Applied Scientific Computing (CASC).

Careers | Computational Math | Computational Science

Rafael Rivera-Soto shares his passion for AI

Rafael Rivera-Soto is passionate about artificial intelligence, deep learning, and machine learning technologies. He works in LLNL’s Global Security Computing Applications Division, also known as GSCAD.

AI/ML | Careers | Data Science | Deep Learning

Louella Panaga helps keep the Lab running

The Lab is in many ways similar to a small city, and people like Louella Panaga help keep it operational day to day, hour to hour, and minute to minute.

Rachael Lemos constantly learns new things

Rachael Lemos is a software developer in Computing’s Applications, Simulations, & Quality Division, or ASQ. She’s a great example of the Lab’s student success, as she was a summer intern before landing a full-time job.

Business Applications and Support | Careers | Information Technology | Outreach

Jorge Castro Morales thrives on multiple responsibilities

Jorge Castro Morales likes having different responsibilities at work. He says, “I’m honored to be working with a diverse team of multidisciplinary experts to resolve very complex problems on a daily basis.”

Persistence pays for Jorge Escobar

There’s many a circuitous path to a career at Lawrence Livermore. Jorge Escobar, for instance, began as a custodian with Johnson Controls; today, he’s a member of the Livermore Information Technology (LivIT) institutional Mac services team in Computing's Information Technology Solutions division.

Careers | Computer and Mobile Device Support | Education | Information Technology

Ramesh Pankajakshan: from research professor to professional researcher

Computational Scientist Ramesh Pankajakshan came to LLNL in 2016 directly from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. But unlike most recent hires from universities, he switched from research professor to professional researcher.

Jayaraman Thiagarajan pushes data science forward

With nearly 100 publications, CASC researcher Jayaraman “Jay” Thiagarajan explores the possibilities of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

Greg Becker scales projects and mountains

Computer scientist Greg Becker contributes to HPC research and development projects for LLNL’s Livermore Computing division.

Careers | HPC Systems and Software | Outreach | Performance, Portability, and Productivity | Software Build and Installation

Rushil Anirudh teaches computers to see the visual world

Rushil Anirudh describes the machine learning field as undergoing a “gold rush.”

AI/ML | Careers | Computer Vision | Data Science | Scientific Visualization

Kirk Sylvester enjoys being a tech geek

Kirk Sylvester, security training coordinator with LLNL’s Global Security Computing Applications Division, is a self-proclaimed “tech geek.”

Access Management | Careers | Education | Information Technology

2018 Sidney Fernbach Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to Will Pazner

LLNL has named Will Pazner as the third Sidney Fernbach Postdoctoral Fellow in the Computing Sciences.

Awards | Careers | Computational Math | Discrete Mathematics

Marisa Torres shares her excitement for bioinformatics

Marisa Torres, software developer with LLNL’s Global Security Computing Applications Division, combines her love of biology with coding.

Gordon Lau leads, motivates, and educates

When computer scientist Gordon Lau arrived at Lawrence Livermore more than 20 years ago, he was a contractor assigned to a laser isotope separation project.

Joshua Senecal finds balance at NIF

The NIF Computing team plays a key role in this smoothly running facility, and computer scientist Joshua Senecal supports multiple operational areas.

Careers | Computational Science | Lasers and Optics | Outreach | Software Engineering

Elsa Gonsiorowski helps users and applications perform their best

“If applications don’t read and write files in an efficient manner,” system software developer Elsa Gonsiorowski warns, “entire systems can crash.”

Careers | Fault Tolerance and Resilience | HPC Systems and Software | Storage, File Systems, and I/O

Marisol Gamboa inspires the next generation

At just 5 years old, Marisol Gamboa, the oldest of six siblings to Mexican immigrants, decided she was definitely going to college.

Careers | Data Science | Diversity | Outreach

Juan Ramos charts an unusual career path to IT

Juan Ramos discovered a professional calling in computer networking, security, and information technology while in the Marines.

Julia Ramirez keeps environmental auditors happy

Julia Ramirez helps automate and streamline LLNL processes for preparing reports and responding to audits.

Edgar Leon inspires young scholars

Working on world-class supercomputers at a U.S. national laboratory was not what Edgar Leon, a native of Mexico, envisioned when he began preparing for university.

Careers | Fault Tolerance and Resilience | HPC Systems and Software | Outreach

Peter Robinson earns a name as “the GRAPE guy”

Peter Robinson develops major infrastructure components and code development processes for ALE3D, a numerical simulation tool.

Careers | Education | Open-Source Software | Software Engineering | Web Technologies