MagNetUS 2026 Elections:
Candidates' bios and statements

MagNetUS Chair Elect candidates:

Thomas Steinberger

Bio: Thomas Steinberger is an experimental plasma physicist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at West Virginia University, where he is a member of the Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics. His research focuses on fundamental plasma processes in magnetized and low-temperature plasmas, with an emphasis on advanced optical diagnostics, boundary physics, and kinetic phenomena. Dr. Steinberger has extensive expertise in the development and application of laser-based diagnostics, including laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), two-photon absorption LIF (TALIF), quantum beat spectroscopy, Thomson scattering, and optical field diagnostics. His work spans a range of experimental platforms, from low-pressure magnetized plasma devices to atmospheric-pressure plasma systems, and is driven by the development of new diagnostic capabilities that enable non-perturbative, high-resolution measurements of plasma dynamics. Thomas also serves as Chief Technology Officer of Scime Scientific, a plasma diagnostics consulting firm that collaborates closely with the private fusion and electric propulsion sectors. He has collaborated broadly with university groups, national laboratories, and external research partners. Alongside his research program, Dr. Steinberger is deeply committed to education and mentorship. He has mentored undergraduate and graduate students and has developed new laboratory-based instructional modules focused on experimental instrumentation for undergraduate curriculum. He views organizations such as MagNetUS as essential to sustaining a vibrant, inclusive, and collaborative experimental plasma physics ecosystem and is committed to contributing to its leadership and long-term success.

Statement: I am interested in serving as Chair-Elect of MagNetUS because I strongly believe in the organization’s role as a connective tissue for the U.S. magnetized plasma community, particularly in lowering barriers to participation, strengthening cross-institutional collaboration, and cultivating the next generation of experimental plasma physicists. My career has been shaped by access to shared facilities, mentorship across institutions, and collaborative experimental campaigns, and I view MagNetUS as uniquely positioned to formalize and expand these opportunities for a broader and more diverse community. As Chair-Elect, I would prioritize initiatives that enhance engagement between large-scale facilities and smaller or emerging research programs, improve visibility and accessibility of experimental resources, and expand training pathways for students and early-career researchers. A key component of this effort is actively supporting and pursuing funding opportunities that facilitate participation by smaller institutions in experimental campaigns at major plasma facilities, including mechanisms that enable shared access, student mobility, and collaborative diagnostic development. These priorities align with a broader commitment to transparent governance, effective communication across the community, and sustained programming that emphasizes hands-on experimental access, workforce development, and inclusive participation. I see the Chair-Elect role as an opportunity to support continuity in leadership while helping MagNetUS evolve in ways that serve both its current members and the broader magnetized plasma community. 

Saikat Chakraborty Thakur

Bio: I am a Research Associate Professor at Auburn University (AU) in the Magnetized Plasma Research Lab (MPRL), a collaborative research facility. I come from a industrial town in India and am the only person in a large family to pursue higher studies in STEM. I moved to the nearest big city (Kolkata) to finish my high school and bachelor’s in physics, got a master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Kanpur, and then joined West Virginia University (WVU) to pursue a PhD in plasma physics. After graduating from WVU in 2010, I joined the Center for Energy Research (CER) at UC-San Diego (UCSD) as a postdoc and continued as a Project Scientist till 2020, when I moved to Auburn. In addition to my research on fundamental plasma physics and plasma diagnostics (ion acceleration and instabilities in expanding magnetic fields, LIF and CRDS, drift wave instabilities, turbulence and transport, dusty plasmas and low temperature plasmas at high magnetic fields), I love working with students (mentored > 40 undergraduate and > 35 high school students, 15 graduate students directly in the lab and ~ 15 more via collaborations and PhD committees). I was the Chair of the Outreach and Diversity Committee at CER, UCSD from its very early days in 2015 until I left UCSD, and am currently the Chair of the Education, Outreach, and Workforce Development Working Group of the MagNetUS. I am also a member of the Education and Outreach Committee (E&O) of the APS-DPP, the US-Fusion Outreach Team (US-FOT) and a member-at-large for the Coalition of Plasma Science (CPS).

Statement: Being a first-generation college student and an immigrant pursuing higher studies in the US, a wide range of experiences have made me critically aware of the crucial need for a strong, safe and collegial environment for any organization to be sustainable and achieve long-term success. Having been involved with MagNetUS since its planning days, as a Program Committee member for the first MagNetUS Meeting at the University of Wisconsin at Madison (in 2021), a local organizing committee member for the third MagNetUS Annual Meeting at Auburn (in 2023), and as the chair of a working group for the last two years, I am motivated to ensure the long-term success of MagNetUS as a community driven, bottom up, user defined, collaborative research ecosystem. I believe that we need to achieve two complementary goals: one is to spread the word about MagNetUS to communities traditionally unaware of the great opportunities this organization brings with it; and the other is to reach out to and motivate as many students as possible, including, but not restricted to, from traditionally underrepresented communities. Based on my prior experience and connections with various plasma organizations, I promise to bring together various stakeholders, such as postdocs and young scientists, professors from PUIs (Primarily Undergraduate Institutions) and MSIs (Minority Serving Institutions) and research labs from various institutions and also multiple funding agencies (DOE, NSF, NASA etc.) to come to a common platform to share ideas, improve research access, discuss novel diagnostics, all of which helps to nurture the next generation of plasma scientists. I plan to work with the Working Group Chairs and members from other like-minded organizations such as the APS-DPP, Small College Plasma Consortium, University Fusion Association, CPS, USFOT and APS-Public Engagement team to ensure that MagNetUS has both the reach and the connections to fulfill our goals of making MagNetUS one of the best platforms for both plasma research and workforce development.

MagNetUS Chair of Outreach working Group candidates:

Ehab Hassan

Bio: Dr. Hassan is a theory and computation plasma physicist at the Fusion Energy Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He earned his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Physics from the Faculty of Science at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, in 1999 and 2006, respectively. In 2015, Dr. Hassan received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin, USA, with a focus on space plasma turbulence in ionosphere and solar wind. Afterwards, Dr. Hassan served as an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at the Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, from 2016 to 2018. During that time, he taught and mentored several graduate and undergraduate students. In 2018, Dr. Hassan was appointed as a research scholar at the Institute for Fusion Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where he conducted gyrokinetic simulations of plasma turbulent transport in tokamak pedestals. Subsequently, Dr. Hassan took on a postdoctoral associate position at the Fusion Energy Division at ORNL, focusing on integrated simulation, scenario development, and optimization of magnetic coil system in nuclear fusion devices. In addition to mentoring several SULI students at ORNL, Dr. Hassan has served as a Career Mentor (CM) at the American Physical Society (APS), Mentor at the National Mentoring Committee, a member at the Pigram Award Committee at the Southeastern Section of the APS, and a Co-Chair of the Future Leaders Network at ORNL. Moreover, Dr. Hassan has volunteered at several outreach activities, such as Hour of Code and Tennessee Science Bowl. 

Statement: Throughout my academic journey in the US and Egypt, I have prioritized teaching, mentoring, and training alongside research. He is firmly believing in the importance of nurturing the next generation for the future of space and laboratory plasma, and he is particularly passionate about the making various plasma physics programs more accessible to US college students. The vision of MagNetUS community, especially the Outreach and Education Committee, resonates with my mission of training young minds in proposal writing and experimental leadership and I will continue support this effort as a chair. Recognizing the importance of collaboration between private and public sectors, especially in nuclear fusion, I aim to expand skilled professionals in magnetized plasma physics workforce by working closely with members in MagNetUS executive committee to organize seminars and workshops for students in high schools and technical colleges, offering valuable insights into the magnetized plasma physics and nuclear fusion energy and providing opportunities for new career prospects. These outreach and educational activities will inform students about exciting internship and career opportunities, aiming to raise awareness about the vital role this field plays in shaping the future of clean energy both in the US and globally. 

Oak Nelson

Bio: Andrew “Oak” Nelson is an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University, where he leads multiple collaborative efforts with various labs and industry partners to advance fusion energy systems. Dr. Nelson earned his B.Sc. in Engineering Physics with minors in Applied Mathematics and Leadership Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2016. He completed his Ph.D. in Plasma Physics at Princeton University in 2021, where his thesis focused on dynamics associated with H-mode pedestal in DIII-D. Committed to education and mentorship, Dr. Nelson serves as co-chair of Fusion Energy Week, USFusionEnergy.org, the US Fusion Outreach Team, the APS-DPP CONNECT Committee for Students and Early Career Scientists, and the DIII-D Personnel Development Committee. He was also one of the early organizing members of the APS-DPP Student Day and has overseen its growth since 2020. Dr. Nelson is a trained and active member of the APS-DPP Ally program and the APS Career Mentoring Fellows. He has served as an advisor to over a dozen undergraduate and graduate students, has been involved in curriculum development and interdisciplinary teaching across Columbia, Princeton, and MIT, and, most recently, has helped with the development of several programmatic resources at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility including the 2024 DIII-D Summer School and curriculum development at the National Research Platform.

Statement: On the MagNetUS Outreach Committee, Dr. Nelson aims to represent the interests of early-career scientists, strengthen connections between academic, private, and public fusion efforts, and advocate for the growth of stronger and more supportive communities. He looks forward to the opportunity to amplify community voices, improve transparency in decision-making, and foster the collective growth of our field through intentional, inclusive engagement and outreach.

MagNetUS Chair of Annual Meeting candidate:

Yashika Ghai

Bio: Yashika Ghai is an R&D Staff Scientist in the Fusion Energy Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Her expertise spans plasma physics, machine learning–based surrogate modeling, and high-performance computing (HPC). Yashika studies Alfvén instabilities driven by energetic particles in fusion devices that can transport and deconfine the energetic particles, leading to inefficient self-heating of a fusion plasma. Her work involves developing theoretical models and using advanced simulation codes to study these instabilities and finding ways to mitigate them. She also investigates the impact of whistler waves on runaway electron pitch angle scattering in fusion devices. Yashika joined ORNL in 2019 as a postdoctoral researcher in the Fusion energy division and since spring 2021, Yashika has been a permanent staff in the fusion Theory and Modeling group. She earned her Ph.D. in theoretical plasma physics from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, in 2019. During her Ph.D., Yashika focused on studying nonlinear waves and coherent structures in space dusty plasma environments. Yashika is passionate about promoting fusion science to the public and engaging in educational outreach. She co-chaired the Education and Outreach Committee for the Fusion and Fission Energy Sciences Directorate (FFESD). During her Ph.D., she volunteered as an editor for the science blog "The Secrets of the Universe" (https://secretsofuniverse.in/), where she regularly wrote popular science articles and shared her research experiences. 

Statement: I believe MagNetUS is a strong group of researchers working in the field of magnetized plasma environments and the annual meeting enables us to discuss important outstanding issues in our respective fields, learn from each other and collaborate to solve challenging scientific problems. As the annual meeting chair, I would like to organize a program where researchers from the fields of space, astrophysical, solar, and fusion plasmas come together to discuss their research in a constructive and supportive environment. My background in space dusty plasmas and magnetic confinement fusion places me in a unique position to craft a successful meeting with the support of my esteemed colleagues. I am excited and happy to chair and organize the upcoming annual MagNetUS meeting.

MagNetUS Chair of User Group candidate:

Sonu Yadav

Bio: I am an experimental plasma physicist and Research Scientist at West Virginia University, where I lead laboratory investigations of space and laboratory plasmas using the PHASMA device. My research focuses on magnetic reconnection, plasma instabilities, lower-hybrid drift waves, and wave–particle interactions, utilizing advanced diagnostics such as Thomson scattering, Langmuir probes, B-dot arrays, and EVDF measurements. I have contributed actively to the MagNetUS and broader plasma community through collaborative research, mentoring students, organizing sessions, and sharing experimental capabilities and results. My work bridges fundamental plasma physics with applications relevant to space plasmas and future fusion and plasma technology advancements.

Statement: I am honored to be considered for the MagNetUS User Working Group Chair role. I am deeply invested in strengthening user engagement, enhancing collaboration across experimental and modeling groups, and ensuring that the user community’s needs are effectively represented to facility leadership. I hope to contribute by fostering transparent communication, helping shape priorities that maximize scientific impact, and supporting initiatives that broaden participation and visibility of MagNetUS science. I am enthusiastic about contributing my experience, collaborative mindset, and commitment to community-building to help advance the mission of MagNetUS over the coming years.