Dave Grote
Staff Scientist at LLNL
Orinda, California, United States
Summary
🤩
Rockstar🎓
Top SchoolDave Grote is a Staff Scientist with 14+ years of experience specializing in particle accelerator and plasma physics, backed by a Ph.D. in Applied Science. He is the primary maintainer of a large-scale simulation code at LLNL used for high-current beam and plasma studies, combining deep physics insight with hands-on software stewardship. Proficient in C, Python, Fortran and MPI, he modernizes and debugs complex multi-language, multi-process codes and provides training and user support across research teams. His open-source contributions include impactful backend work on WarpX and packaging fixes in Spack to ensure reliable builds on HPC systems like NERSC, reflecting practical expertise in production HPC workflows. Known for improving core algorithms—particle pushers, current deposition, and FDTD solvers—he brings a rare blend of numerical analysis rigor and pragmatic engineering. Based in Orinda, CA, he thrives at the intersection of experimental design, computational modeling, and large-scale code maintenance.
14 years of coding experience
Ph.D., Applied Science, Ph.D., Applied Science at University of California, DavisB.S., Physics, B.S., Physics at University of Dayton
Github Skills (18)
computational-physics10
c-language10
python10
fortran10
mpi10
build-tools10
cprogramming-language10
scientific-computing10
data-analysis10
parallel-computing9
openmp8
macos5
linux5
astronomy4
astrophysics4
Programming languages (3)
Github contributions (5)
BLAST-WarpX/warpx
Nov 2016 - Jan 2023
WarpX is an advanced Particle-In-Cell code.
Role in this project:
Back-end Developer
Back-end DeveloperContributions:1262 reviews, 487 commits, 427 PRs in 6 years 3 months
Contributions summary:Dave implemented and refined the core components of the WarpX simulation, specifically focusing on the particle pusher, current deposition, and field gathering algorithms within the context of the RZ geometry. They introduced new functionalities such as a repeating plasma lens, which directly impacted particle trajectories. In addition to these improvements, the user modernized the code, including adding support for a new FDTD solver and ensuring compatibility with multi-level simulations, along with several bug fixes.
physicselectromagneticlaserelectrostaticparticle
yt-project/yt
Dec 2020 - Sep 2022
Main yt repository
Role in this project:Backend Developer
Backend DeveloperContributions:4 reviews, 6 commits, 2 PRs in 1 year 8 months
Contributions summary:Dave primarily contributed to the `boxlib` frontend within the `yt` repository, focusing on fixing bugs and improving code quality. Their work involved correcting issues in the `data_structures.py` and `io.py` files. These commits addressed problems such as incorrect header reading, whitespace inconsistencies, and the enabling of 1D particle data reading functionality.
pythondatafinite-element-analysisgeophysicsnuclear-engineering
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