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Data Scientist
Physicist
Musician

Matthew

N.K.
Smith

95FD7050-4056-4B4F-B782-DF970B91092F.jpe

I'm the Principal Data Scientist with the City of Boston.

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I bring a creative research-oriented perspective to my data science work, drawing on my background in particle physics and experience in the world of conservation policy to drive social impact projects for the city.

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Ongoing projects include:

  • modeling and forecasting COVID-19 impact on city services (workforce, food access, mobility)

  • predictive modeling for homeless shelter reform,

  • clustering rideshare activity to prioritize locations for pick-up/drop-off zones,

  • founding and spearheading the City of Boston's Ethical Data Working Group

  • sentiment analysis of press coverage of the mayor's legislative agenda,

  • and many more!

PHYSICS

PHYSICS

My physics research has focused on two topics:

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Jet physics is the study of collimated sprays of energy produced in particle collisions.  Jets are fundamentally useful tools for managing collision products, performing a census on the particles involved, and tracing backward to the interesting dynamics of the collision's origin.  I believe constructed objects like jets can serve as a model for other, less spacial, data structures.

 

Supersymmetry has been developed over the last half-century to address the weaknesses in the Standard Model of particle physics.  The theory suggests that each fundamental particle has a partner "super-particle" that can only be observed at very high energies.  

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My PhD thesis is titled "A search for supersymmetric phenomena in final states with high jet multiplicity at the ATLAS detector".

2015-2017

CERN

Worked on a supersymmetry search involving a very large number of jets.  Collaborated primarily with the Oxford high-energy physics department.  Completed PhD Spring 2017.

2014-2015

SLAC

Worked with the Stanford high-energy physics department and SLAC national lab, researching optimization and application of jet algorithms. 

2013-2014

CERN

As a part of the Pixel detector team, tested and validated the innermost part of the ATLAS detector prior to its Run-2 installation.

2011-2013

Columbia University

Taught a variety of courses including advanced undergraduate engineering lab.  Completed MSci, began research supervised by Emlyn Hughes (PhD completed 2017). 

2010-2011

Perimeter Institute

As a member of the second class of Perimeter Scholars International (PSI) I completed an intensive theoretical physics masters.

2006-2010

Yale University

BS in physics (honors track).  Senior thesis: di-hadron correlations at RHIC.  Winner of the Yale Deforest Pioneers Prize "for distinguished creative achievement in physics"

© CERN

CONTACT
CONTACT

I'm always happy to get in touch!  Shoot me an email at:

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matthew.nk.smith[AT]boston.gov

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Or just fill out the form here.

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© 2021 by Matthew N.K. Smith

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