Sol Benkel

Legal name: Bruno Benkel.

sol.benkel@proton.me | github.com/bleaktwig

Employment

Postdoctoral EIC dRICH Online Reconstruction Developer w/ Annalisa D’Angelo & Roberto Ammendola @ INFN Tor Vergata (Nov 2023 - Oct 2024)

Developed a neural network-based online reconstruction algorithm for the dual Ring Imaging Cherenkov (dRICH) detector for the Electron Ion Collider (EIC) collaboration.
Developed a Bayesian regression-based RR Lyrae-class star label prediction algorithm with Valentina D’Orazi.
Acted as a teacher assistant (in Italian) on the Big Data laboratory experiences for the PCTO group.

Freelance Software Developer @ Upwork (Sep 2023 - Oct 2023)

Developed a test framework to detect faults in small-scale bank transactions in Java.

HEP Software Developer + R&D Computer Engineer w/ Hayk Hakobyan & Will Brooks @ CCTVAL (May 2018 - Sep 2023)

Developed the standard High Energy Physics (HEP) analysis toolset used by CLAS12 Run Group E.
Lead the Forward Micromegas Tracker alignment team, developing both detector alignment and offline reconstruction software.
Lead a Drift Chambers reconstruction software optimization team, and optimized a Runge Kutta 4 implementation to improve computing speed.
Developed an EPICS-based slow controls system for the CLAS12 Run Group E’s double target system.
Lead a team in the development of configuration, calibration, alarms, and front-end systems for a mechanical ventilator software in the face of a shortage during the COVID19 pandemic.
Developed blockchain-based software for a small-scale energy democratization project.

Technology Consultant w/ Farid Shandiz @ EntrepreneurX (Sep 2020 - Apr 2021)

Developed BDM: a blockchain-based payment processing technology.
Provided design and technology advice on projects.

Freelance Software Developer @ Upwork (Jul 2020 - Sep 2020)

Built a python API to connect input from an electroencephalography scanner to that of an eye movement sensor.
Developed software for a python application that connects several IoT devices from different manufacturers.

Artificial Intelligence Teacher Assistant w/ María Cristina Riff @ UTFSM (Mar 2018 - Aug 2018)

Supervised and evaluated students’ code for the course’s projects.
Assisted the teacher in test design and evaluation.

Field Service Engineer w/ Ben Tatum (Dec 2017 - Feb 2018)

Installed electricity and computer networks at residential and commercial buildings in Los Angeles.

Computer Laboratory Assistant @ Technology Integration Laboratory, UTFSM (Mar 2017 - Dec 2017)

Maintained both computer hardware and software.
Designed publicity and managed public communications.

Computer Architecture Teacher Assistant w/ Javier Cañas @ UTFSM (Mar 2016 - Dec 2018)

Lead the course’s teaching assistants.
Taught weekly practical classes in tandem with professor’s theoretical ones.
Designed, supervised, and evaluated monthly hardware laboratory work.

Library Clerk @ UTFSM (Jul 2013 - Jun 2015)

Designed publicity and managed social media communication.
Operated laser printers and a checkout machine.
Participated in sales managerial meetings.
Sold goods as a cashier.

Kitchen Hand @ Playa Arriba Restaurant (Mar 2013 - Jul 2013)

Education

PhD Student for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory w/ Summer Blot @ DESY Zeuthen (Nov 2024 - Now)

Working on a tau neutrino appearance analysis.
Developing and maintaining the PISA analysis software.
Prepared and made public the data release for the “Golden Event Sample” from the Neutrino Oscillation Working Group.

Professional Certificate in IBM Machine Learning (ML) @ Coursera (Nov 2023 - May 2024).

Courses. Exploratory data analysis; supervised ML: regression; supervised ML: classification; unsupervised ML; deep learning and reinforcement learning; and ML capstone.

M.Sc. in Physics @ UTFSM (Mar 2021 - Sep 2023).

Thesis. Acceptance Study of the CLAS12 Detector Using the Forwards MicroMegas Tracker for Run Group E, w/ Hayk Hakobyan, Raffaella De Vita, and Will Brooks.
Highlighted Courses. Experimental physics, particle physics, advanced quantum mechanics.

Title (M.Sc. Equivalent) in Computer Engineering @ UTFSM (Mar 2017 - Sep 2019).

Thesis. Acceleration of the Kalman Filter Algorithm for the CLAS12 Event Reconstruction Software w/ Claudio Torres, Hayk Hakobyan, and Raquel Pezoa.
Highlighted Courses. Information theory, scientific computing, artificial intelligence, deep learning, artificial neural networks, data analysis.

B.Eng. in Computer Engineering @ UTFSM (Mar 2012 - Mar 2017).

Publications

Google Scholar profile.

Statistics: H-index 8, 18 articles, 244 citations.

Member of the IceCube Collaboration from Apr 2025.
Member of the CLAS Collaboration from Jan 2022 to Apr 2025.

Skills

Programming languages:

Expert. C, Java, Python.
Proficient. Bash, C++, Haskell.
Basic. JavaScript, MIPS Assembly, R.

Computing tools & libraries:

Linux. Usage since 2014, and it’s the only operating system I use since 2016. I have experience with KDE Neon, Arch, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Pop OS!, and Elementary OS. In addition, I have imparted multiple workshops and tutorials regarding the operating system installation and usage during my tenure at CCTVal.
Git. Usage since 2016. I have experience with repository organization, issue tracking, code review, Github pages, among other things. I have imparted two courses on git usage for different areas at CCTVal.
Python data analysis. With Pandas, Numpy, Scipy, Tensorflow Keras, and Matplotlib + Seaborn since 2016. I have extensively used the tools for professional projects and M.Sc. coursework. Projects include electroencephalography signal analysis, RR Lyrae-class stars label prediction, mechanical ventilator software calibration, among other things.
LaTeX. Usage since 2015. I have extensive experience writing documents in the markup language and its various packages. I wrote both my M.Sc. theses in LaTeX, in addition to developing my own custom themes for presentations and tabletop gamebooks.
CERN ROOT. Usage since 2020. My M.Sc. thesis analysis software is based in ROOT, and I’ve provided ROOT software advice and assistance to other graduate students at UTFSM.
EPICS. Usage since 2021. I programmed the slow controls system for the RG-E target system in EPICS, using various support modules like motor, autosave, galil, among others.
QT + PySide2. Usage since 2020. I built a mechanical ventilator human-machine interface using QT in python.
Gimp & Inkscape. Gimp usage since 2013, Inkscape since 2018. I designed publicity for both the library and the Technology Integration Laboratory at UTFSM, and have used both programs extensively for recreational purposes since.

Spoken Languages (ILR scale):

Native or bilingual. English, Spanish.
Full professional proficiency. Italian.
Limited working proficiency. German.
Elementary proficiency. Norwegian, Chinese.

Last updated: 2025-09-10.