Kevin Pitts
Education
- Ph.D., Physics, University of Oregon, Eugene, June 1994
Biography
Kevin T. Pitts is a high energy experimentalist who has made seminal contributions to the measurement and understanding of CP violation in bottom quark decays . He received a B.A. in physics and mathematics from Anderson University (1987) and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the University of Oregon (1989 and 1994, respectively). After working as a research associate at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the Collider Detector Facility (CDF) experiments, Professor Pitts joined the faculty at the University of Illinois in 1999.
Professor Pitts continues to carry out research at Fermilab, with the CDF experiment and the Muon g-2 experiment.
On CDF, Pitts served in a number of roles, including leader of the Bottom Physics Working Group, leader of the Trigger and Dataset Working Group and Physics Coordinator. He led the Illinois effort to construct the very-high-speed digital trigger system, a central component of the experiment. His research focuses on the physics of heavy quarks and the Higgs boson.
On the Muon g-2 experiment, Pitts leads the effort to develop a high precision clock and control system and is also active on the high speed data acquisition system.
His service to the high energy physics community includes Chair of the Fermilab Users Executive Committee, and member of the National User Facility Organization, the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5), and the Long Baseline Neutrino Commitee (LBNC). Pitts currently serves as the Chief Research Officer at Fermilab.
Professor Pitts is an engaging and gifted teacher. He has developed a number of unique courses and has been a leader in presenting science to the public. He is dedicated to undergraduate education, serving as Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs (2010-2014) and as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the College of Engineering (2014-2017), and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (2017-2021). He has been a leading voice in helping physics students identify career paths and is extremely active in the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics series, serving as Chair of the National Organizing Committee in 2015.
Research Areas
Selected Articles in Journals
- A. Abulencia, et al. Search for Bs0→ μ+μ- and Bd0→ μ+μ- Decays in pp- collisions with CDF II. Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 221805-1-7 (2005).
- D. Acosta, et al. Measurement of partial widths and search for direct CP violation in D0 meson decays to K-/K+ and π-p+. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 122001-1-7 ( 2005).
- D. Acosta, et al. Measurement of the lifetime difference between Bs mass eigenstates. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 101803-1-7 (2005).
- D. Acosta, et al. First measurements of inclusive W and Z cross sections from Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron collider. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 091803-1-7 (2005).
- D. Acosta, et al. Measurement of the tt production cross section in pp collisions at √s= 1.96 TeV using lepton + jets events with secondary vertex b -tagging. Phys. Rev. D 71, 052003-1-28 (2005).
- D. Acosta, et al. Measurement of the moments of the hadronic invariant mass distribution in semileptonic B decays. Phys. Rev. D 71, 051103-1-9 ( 2005).
Professional Societies
- Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) 2013-2014
Honors
- American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
- University of Illinois University Scholar
- American Physical Society Fellow
- Universities Research Association Visiting Fellow
- Xerox Award for Outstanding Research
- Provost's Initiative on Teaching Advancement Award
- Arnold O. Nordsieck Award for Excellence in Teaching
- Engineering Council Award for Excellence in Advising
- National Science Foundation CAREER Award
- U.S. Department of Energy Outstanding Junior Investigator
- Center for Advanced Study Fellow