People

Name:	David A. Mason
Title:	Research Associate
Email:	dmason@fnal.gov
Phone:	630.840.2786

Profile

Research Areas

Data operations, computing

What is your main focus on CMS?

I am managing and commissioning the CERN Tier 0 processing system. The Tier 0 controls the first round of the data processing at CERN before being distributed to the other Tier centers around the world.

What inspired you to study particle physics?

We get to play with a lot of cool toys and try to understand what everything is made out of. That is pretty interesting for me.

What is your favorite thing about being a scientist?

I like solving difficult problems and encountering different problems that no one has dealt with before.

What is it about Fermilab or the research that would surprise people?

Fermilab has a herd of buffalo. That really surprised me when I started working here. You do not expect to find buffalo at a particle physics lab.

If you could rescue one thing from your burning office or lab, besides your laptop, what would it be?

I am rarely in my office because I spend a lot of time in the Remote Operations Center. Probably beyond the laptop, I would grab my backpack, since everything is usually in there anyway.

What music do you listen to the most?

These days it's Japanese heavy metal.