diff --git a/_fellows/2025/dbontr.md b/_fellows/2025/dbontr.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..65b8e944d --- /dev/null +++ b/_fellows/2025/dbontr.md @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +--- +layout: fellow +pagetype: fellow +shortname: dbontr +permalink: /fellows/dbontr.html +fellow-name: Devon Bontrager +title: Devon Bontrager - IRIS-HEP Fellow +active: True +dates: + start: 2025-05-19 + end: 2025-08-25 +photo: /assets/images/team/fellows-2025/Devon-Bontrager.jpg +institution: University of Kansas +e-mail: devonlbontrager@ku.edu +focus-area: +challenge-area: +project_title: Cooperative Track Building with Heuristic and Quantum Acceleration +project_goal: > + This project aims to explore novel ways to improve track reconstruction performance for the HL-LHC through three innovations: (1) cooperative track building where parallel hypotheses share quality metrics and prune weaker candidates; (2) adaptation of underexplored heuristic methods including Ant Colony Optimization, Particle Swarm Optimization, Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms, best-first A*/Hungarian matching; and (3) a quantum-parallel proof of concept using QUBO-based seed selection on quantum devices. The unified Python framework developed during the project will benchmark trade-offs in speed, accuracy, and resource consumption, and highlight the potential of hybrid classical–quantum pipelines for real-time, high-accuracy tracking in high-pileup environments. +mentors: + - Dr. Liv Vage +proposal: /assets/pdf/fellows-2025/USA019-proposal-Devon-Bontrager.pdf +presentations: + - title: + date: + url: + meeting: + meetingurl: + recordingurl: + focus-area: +current_status: > + A placeholder for status updates +github-username: dbontr +linkedin-profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devon-bontrager/ +--- diff --git a/assets/images/team/fellows-2025/Devon-Bontrager.jpg b/assets/images/team/fellows-2025/Devon-Bontrager.jpg new file mode 100644 index 000000000..a949f7039 Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/images/team/fellows-2025/Devon-Bontrager.jpg differ