Kevin T. Pitts Explained

Birth Name:	Kevin Todd Pitts
Fields:	High energy particle physics
Workplaces:	University of Illinois, Fermilab
Alma Mater:	University of Oregon
Thesis Title:	Electroweak coupling measurements from polarized bhabha scattering at the Z^0 resonance.^[1]
Thesis Year:	1994
Doctoral Advisor:	James E. Brau
Awards:	American Physical Society Fellow, 2014 American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, 2016

Kevin T. Pitts (born 1965) is an American high energy particle physicist. In addition to his faculty appointment at the, in 2021 he was appointed chief research officer at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory. His research interests have included the CDF experiment and the Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab.

Early life and education

Kevin Todd Pitts, born in Indiana in 1965, is the son of William and Beverley Pitts. He earned a B.A. in physics and mathematics at Anderson University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the University of Oregon.^[2] He completed his dissertation in 1994.

Career

Pitts began his research in high-energy physics at Fermilab in 1994. At the Fermilab Tevatron he investigated heavy-flavor physics and participated in the CDF experiment Higgs boson searches. Pitts is a member of the Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab.

He joined the faculty at the University of Illinois in 1999, becoming associate head for undergraduate programs in 2010. In 2014 he became associate dean for undergraduate programs in the college of engineering. Pitts is vice provost for undergraduate education.^[3]

As vice provost, he has been the architect of the "Illinois Commitment" program^[4] to offer free tuition and fees to "talented low- to moderate-income students and those who are the first generation to go to college".^[5] He was also the principal investigator on a grant to increase access to science and engineering for low income students,^[6] an effort supported by Amazon.^[7] Pitts served in the chair line for the National Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP).^[8] He also founded "ICANEXSEL", a University of Illinois College of Engineering program to engage inner-city Chicago middle and high school students in STEM.^{[9] [10]} In addition, Pitts serves on the board of directors for the nonprofit Chicago Pre-college Science and Engineering Program.^[11]

In March 2021, Pitts became chief research officer at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory. His responsibilities there include oversight of the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. He participated in the top quark discovery in 1995, and served on the Long Baseline Neutrino Committee.

Pitts also serves on the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel.^[12]

Selected publications

• Abi. B.. Albahri. T.. Al-Kilani. S.. Allspach. D.. Alonzi. L. P.. Anastasi. A.. Anisenkov. A.. Azfar. F.. Badgley. K.. Baeßler. S.. Bailey. I.. 2021-04-07. Measurement of the Positive Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment to 0.46 ppm. Physical Review Letters. 126. 14. 141801. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.141801. 33891447 . 2104.03281. 2021PhRvL.126n1801A . 233169085 . 0031-9007.
• News: Pitts. Kevin T.. 2008-04-02. Future Science Needs Aid Now. 1–13. Chicago Tribune. 2021-03-29.
• CDF Collaboration. 2006-12-12. Observation of Bs-Bsbar Oscillations. Physical Review Letters. 97. 24. 242003. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.242003. 17280271 . hep-ex/0609040. 0031-9007. 10067/815500151162165141. free.
• 2006-05-01. Precision electroweak measurements on the Z resonance. Physics Reports. en. 427. 5. 257–454. 10.1016/j.physrep.2005.12.006. 0370-1573. hep-ex/0509008. The ALEPH Collaboration . the DELPHI Collaboration . the L3 Collaboration . the OPAL Collaboration . the SLD Collaboration . the LEP Electroweak Working Group . the SLD electroweak . heavy flavour groups . 2006PhR...427..257A . 119482321 .
• CDF Collaboration. 2000-03-09. A Measurement of sin2β from B→J/ψK0S with the CDF detector. Physical Review D. 61. 7. 072005. 10.1103/PhysRevD.61.072005. hep-ex/9909003. 0556-2821.
• CDF Collaboration. Abe. F.. Akimoto. H.. Akopian. A.. Albrow. M. G.. Amendolia. S. R.. Amidei. D.. Antos. J.. Anway-Wiese. C.. Aota. S.. Apollinari. G.. 1995-04-03. Observation of Top Quark Production in \bar{p} {p} Collisions with the Collider Detector at Fermilab. Physical Review Letters. 74. 14. 2626–2631. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.74.2626. 10057978 . hep-ex/9503002. 2241/103691. free.

Selected awards, honors

• American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, elected 2016.^[13]
• American Physical Society Fellow, 2014, "For his leading role in heavy-flavor physics at the Tevatron collider, including the first evidence of CP violation in bottom mesons, and for significant contributions to triggering at the Collider."^[14]
• Arnold O. Nordsieck Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2014, "For his creation and inspirational teaching of innovative courses that introduce undergraduates to the philosophy, fidelity, and elegance of science."^[15]
• University of Illinois, University Scholar, 2013.^[16] "The University Scholars Program recognizes outstanding members of the faculty and provides each with a funding allocation to enhance their scholarly activities."^[17]
• National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 2004.^[18]
• United States Department of Energy Outstanding Junior Investigator Award, 2002. "A Stereo Tracking System for the CDF Detector."^[19]

External links

• • (1:08 hours)
• (video, 2:31 minutes)
• (video 46:31 minutes)
• A Tiny Particle’s Wobble Could Upend the Known Laws of Physics, By Dennis Overbye, The New York Times.
• Muons: 'Strong' evidence found for a new force of nature, By Pallab Ghosh, BBC News.

Notes and References

1. Web site: INSPIRE. 2021-03-13. inspirehep.net.
2. Web site: Marc. Tracy. Fermilab names Kevin Pitts as chief research officer. March 2021 . 2021-03-12. en-US.
3. Web site: Kevin T Pitts : Illinois Physics. 2021-04-10. physics.illinois.edu.
4. Web site: Ciciora. Phil. Illinois Commitment will help students from middle-income families attend Illinois. 2021-05-31. news.illinois.edu. en-US.
5. Web site: Wurth. Julie. August 27, 2018. UI to offer free tuition to in-state students below median household income. 2021-05-31. The News-Gazette. en.
6. Pitts. Kevin. Goddard. Lynford. Toussaint. Kimani. The Redshirt in Engineering Consortium. en.
7. Web site: Wurth. Julie. N-G Exclusive Amazon commits $1 million for academic 'redshirt' program. 2021-06-01. The News-Gazette. 17 September 2018 . en.
8. Web site: CUWiP National Organizing Committee 2014-2015. 2021-06-01. www.aps.org. en.
9. Web site: I-STEM—Engineering for Social Justice Scholars. 2021-06-01. www.istem.illinois.edu.
10. Web site: Pitts. Kevin. August 3, 2017. UIUC diversity and inclusion efforts in STEM education. May 31, 2021. APS Division of Particles and Fields.
11. Web site: 2018. Board of Directors – CHISE-ChiPrep. 2021-06-01. en-US.
12. Web site: May 2014. Building for Discovery : Strategic Plan for U.S. Particle Physics in the Global Context. April 9, 2021. usparticlephysics.org.
13. Web site: 2016. Elected Fellows : American Association for the Advancement of Science. 2021-03-16. www.aaas.org. en.
14. Web site: APS Fellow Archive. 2021-03-16. American Physical Society. en.
15. Web site: Schwink. Siv. Kevin Pitts selected for Nordsieck Award. 2021-03-16. The Grainger College of Engineering : Department of Physics, University of Illinois. en.
16. Web site: Past University Scholars - EVPAA. 2021-05-31. www.vpaa.uillinois.edu.
17. Web site: University Scholars Program - EVPAA. 2021-05-31. www.vpaa.uillinois.edu.
18. Web site: NSF Award Search: Award # 0349179 - CAREER: Heavy Flavor Physics with the CDF Detector and Saturday Physics Honors Statewide. 2021-05-31. www.nsf.gov.
19. Web site: 2009. Department of Energy Outstanding Junior Investigator Program Awardees. May 31, 2021. science.osti.gov.