I was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal, a vibrant city nestled among mountains, temples, and bustling markets. Growing up, I was a quiet child who often kept to himself, uncertain of where my interests lay. Everything changed one day in fourth grade when my dad brought home a book that described the astonishing life cycle of stars—their dramatic births, fiery lives, and eventual collapse into black holes. Something about that story resonated deeply with me, igniting a curiosity about the universe that never faded.
Sky as it looks from the top of my house in Kathmandu
Outskirts of Kathmandu with a view of the Himalayas
Ancient temples and architecture that form the cultural backdrop of my childhood
By the time I reached college, that early curiosity had matured into a deep interest in physics. Pursuing a B.Sc. in Physics felt natural, almost inevitable. It was during a course on Electricity and Magnetism that I along with some friends decided to build our own Tesla coil. What began as an exciting idea quickly turned into countless hours of trial and error. When the coil finally sparked to life, lighting a bulb wirelessly for the first time, the sense of accomplishment was unlike anything I'd experienced. Encouraged by friends, we entered it into a contest and were pleasantly surprised when we won first prize.
The moment when our Tesla coil lit up a bulb wirelessly for the first time
CFL bulb getting lit up as it gets closer to the Tesla coil, and yes we made it bigger after the first one worked
In my third and fourth years of college, my interests began expanding out from astrophysics to atmospheric physics. Around this time, I started working on various research projects—like analyzing long-term amplitude oscillations of very low frequency radio waves, and mapping isolated nebular structures in infrared using IRAS data. It was during this phase that I discovered programming. MATLAB was the first language I learned, but soon after, I moved to Python, drawn by its clarity and versatility. Though I briefly explored R, Python remained my preferred tool for analyzing data and visualizing complex scientific findings.
This fascination with astrophysics continued into graduate school, where my research deepened. As a graduate student researcher I explored the peculiar behavior of the changing-look Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) known as 1ES 1927+654. Alongside this research, my mathematics coursework and computational astrophysics projects sparked an interest in machine learning. The intersection of mathematics, coding, and physics opened an entirely new world for me—one I eagerly continue to explore today.
Long whiteboard sessions during grad school
Finished my Master's degree in Physics from UMBC
What I'm Doing Now
Working at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory as an Accelerator Systems Operator
Inside the accelerator housing
After earning my master's degree, I joined SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory as an Accelerator Systems Operator. At SLAC, my role blends hands-on work with accelerator systems and software development. The applications I build for the control room have given me a practical appreciation for object-oriented programming, something that theoretical studies had only hinted at before.
Recently, my curiosity has turned toward transformers and large language models. A class called 'LLM for Biz with Python' allowed me to explore these tools directly. I developed PhysicsAI, an interactive application that uses large language models to help teach physics. It was my first tangible project involving artificial intelligence, marking a new chapter in my ongoing learning journey.
Beyond Work
Finding creative expression through guitar and songwriting
Performing with my band in Nepal
With my family - my greatest joy and source of strength
Beyond my professional life, my most treasured roles are at home—I'm a dad to my daughter, Aria, and a husband to my wife, Parikshya, who is a US Army Veteran. My family is a constant source of joy and grounding in my life, reminding me daily of the simple yet profound pleasures of spending time with loved ones.
When I get to be in touch of my inner self I do it through music. Music is my creative refuge. I find joy in songwriting and composing on guitar and piano, blending rhythm and melody to express creativity beyond the code. You can listen to my music on SoundCloud and YouTube.