Faith Reyes was inspired by her high‑school physics teacher to join a physics club, which sparked her love for the subject. She later entered MIT as a sixth‑year PhD student in the Formaggio Group, focusing on neutrinos. Neutrinos have tiny mass and interact very weakly with matter, being produced in radioactive decay and nuclear reactors; their detection is difficult but they are key to physics beyond the Standard Model.
Reyes works on the Ricochet experiment, an international collaboration at the Institut Laue‑Langevin in Grenoble that uses reactor‑generated neutrinos to observe coherent elastic neutrino‑nucleus scattering – a low‑energy elastic collision between a neutrino and an atomic nucleus. The experiment grew from two detectors to eighteen, dramatically increasing the workload for system maintenance.
To reduce repetitive tasks, Reyes and a colleague built a software framework that automates low‑level analysis and detector monitoring, replacing manual procedures. The framework boosted efficiency and gave her a deep understanding of the apparatus, eventually allowing her to guide other scientists in the collaboration.
Multiple stays in France, including a nine‑month Chateaubriand Fellowship, helped her master technical details, coordinate across time zones, and appreciate the French work culture. Outside the lab she enjoys video games and crocheting, a hands‑on hobby that provides a different kind of satisfaction.
After completing her doctorate, Reyes intends to continue neutrino research, likely as a postdoc. Her story highlights that scientific progress relies on collaboration, adaptability, and the confidence to lead.
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