UPIKE Newsroom

Samuel D. Lane, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics at the University of Pikeville (UPIKE), has been awarded a 2025–2026 Appalachian College Association (ACA) Faculty Fellowship scholarship to support his research on identifying new particle interactions using machine learning and to fund student involvement in the project.

Through this program, the ACA provides financial support during the 2026–2027 academic year to faculty pursuing post-doctoral research or completing pre-doctoral degrees. This year, 31 faculty members representing 23 institutions were selected. Twenty-eight faculty received postdoctoral fellowship scholarships for research projects, while three were awarded predoctoral fellowships to support the completion of their terminal degrees.

Lane’s project, titled “Identifying Xi Jets in Multiphoton Higgs Signals with Machine Learning,” focuses on particle physics research aimed at uncovering potential new particles that may help explain unknown components of the universe, including dark matter and dark energy. His work uses data from particle collisions to search for rare or hidden signals that may not yet be detectable through traditional methods.

“Only about five percent of the universe is made up of matter that we actually understand,” Lane said. “This project is about finding ways to search for the other 95 percent by using machine learning to help us identify new particles that may be hidden in the data.”

The ACA fellowship scholarship will support Lane’s research over the summer and fund student involvement. Students will assist with running simulations, analyzing data, and applying machine learning techniques, including neural networks and data classification tools, gaining hands-on experience in both physics and computational methods.