Cosmoparticle PhD Student Catarina Alves awarded LSST DESC Builder status

The Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC) will make precision measurements of fundamental cosmological parameters using data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The LSST DESC has over 1100 members from over 20 different countries. 

The DESC Builder status is a recognition given by the LSST DESC to those members who have made significant contributions to building the collaboration, both its community and its simulation and analysis pipeline and infrastructure software. It acknowledges “a lifetime recognition of extensive contributions to our collaboration that enable a wide array of DESC papers”.

Fewer than 5% of the Collaboration’s membership have been recognised with Buildership, and Catarina’s achievement is doubly remarkable because it has rarely been awarded previously to PhD students. Catarina’s Builder award recognises her work on building DESC’s supernova classification pipeline, her contributions to optimising the science yield from LSST’s observing strategy design, and her service to the community as an elected member of DESC’s Collaboration Council (itself an unusual recognition at this early career stage).

About receiving DESC Builder Status and on what being part of such an international collaboration means to her, Catarina said: “I am very honoured to receive this recognition by LSST DESC. Working with this collaboration has been great, and the recognition makes me feel that people value my contributions. I enjoy working within DESC because everyone is respectful, and the collaboration strives to maintain a vibrant and inclusive community. This makes the discussions fruitful, and leads to scientific advances.”

Links:

LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration
List of DESC Builders