MagNetUS 2023 Election

Voting for the 2022 MagNetUS election will open October 18th, 2023 and close October 27th, 2023. Each MagNetUS member will receive an individualized email with a ballot. If you are a MagNetUS member and have not received a ballot by 5:00 pm CT on October 18th, please reach out to Noah Hurst (nhurst@wisc.edu). If you would like to vote in the current MagNetUS Election and you are not currently a member, please reach out to the election committee directly to ensure that you get a ballot. The candidates for each position and their statements are shown below. For more information on each position please see the MagNetUS bylaws. 

The following positions are having an election this year:
Chair-Elect
Annual Meeting Working Group Chair
Facilites Working Group Chair
User Base Working Group Chair
Education/Outreach/Workforce Development Working Group Chair
Software/Data Management Working Group Chair

In addition, some amendments to the by-laws have been proposed and will be up for approval by the  memberership. A summary of proposed changes can be found below the election candidate bios.

Chair-Elect

Name: 

Dmitri Orlov

Affiliation: 

University of California, San Diego

Bio:

    I am an Associate Research Scientist at the Center for Energy Research, an Educator in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of California San Diego, and an Affiliate Professor at Auburn University's Department of Physics. I received my B.S. and M.S. in Applied Physics and Mathematics from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and my Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, where I conducted research on dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators for aerodynamic flow control. Currently, I am working at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. My research focuses on a wide range of topics, ranging from nuclear fusion to low-temperature and basic discovery plasmas. 

I am currently a member of the APS DPP Executive Committee, which has provided valuable insights into the needs of our diverse community. My involvement with the US Transport Task Force and recent election to the Sherwood Executive Committees, along with my involvement in organizing the 2022 ITER International School, have allowed me to gain experience in coordinating scientific conferences and schools. As Vice-Chair of the Coalition for Plasma Science, I am dedicated to promoting plasma-focused public engagement beyond our scientific community. 

Statement:

I am excited to run for the MagNetUS Chair position after actively contributing to the organization's growth for the past three years. I have been involved in various aspects, such as maintaining the MagNetUS website, collaborating on the development of the bylaws, and coordinating the Joint Call for Runtime Proposals among key research facilities. These experiences have provided me with a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges our community faces.

As Chair, my vision is to continue building a thriving ecosystem that promotes broadening participation in magnetized plasma research. I believe that MagNetUS should be a platform for sharing resources, ideas, and expertise while prioritizing inclusivity and mentorship for researchers from diverse backgrounds. This approach will not only enhance our research productivity but also cultivate a more diverse and dynamic workforce in our field.

If elected, my priorities include assisting with the organization of annual meetings for cutting-edge physics research and networking, adapting our bylaws as needed, and collaborating closely with funding agencies to secure support for MagNetUS-related initiatives, including the Next Generation Solar Wind Machine.

Thank you for considering my candidacy. I eagerly anticipate collaborating with all of you as we continue to strengthen and grow the MagNetUS organization.

Name: 

Thomas Steinberger

Affiliation: 

West Virginia University

Bio:

Thomas Steinberger is currently a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at West Virginia University. He received his Ph.D. in experimental plasma physics from West Virginia University in 2020. His research focuses on single- and multi-photon laser induced fluorescence, with an emphasis on characterizing ion and neutral velocity distribution functions across a spectrum of cold gas and fusion-relevant plasma systems to obtain species temperature, bulk flow, and density, as well as measure electric and magnetic field amplitudes. Thomas’ other research interests include electron-collision electronic state enhancement from electron beams, ion-neutral interactions in multi-species plasmas, characterization of electronegative plasmas for processing applications, and characterization of electric propulsion plasmas.

Statement:

As Chair Elect, I am committed to advancing the mission of MagNetUS by focusing on enhancing inclusivity and diversity of researchers and student scientist participation in MagNetUS and creating a robust education and training program. We must equip the next generation of scientists with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in magnetized plasma research. I aim to forge partnerships with predominantly undergraduate and underrepresented institutions with smaller plasma science programs, prioritizing new collaborations with institutions from historically excluded groups to foster a diverse research community. During my time at West Virginia University, I have had the opportunity to work with several four-year institutions across the United States with small plasma programs through the Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics. I am dedicated to exploring avenues that facilitate the inclusion and support of these scientists and their students in the MagNetUS community, emphasizing initiatives that assist with scientist travel to experimental facilities, expenses associated with research campaigns, and participation in the annual MagNetUS meeting. I intend to nurture and maintain a broad and diverse collaborator base by offering support for a range of endeavors, not only from experiments, modeling, and diagnostic development, but also by seeking funding from government agencies to support scientists and students from smaller or underrepresented universities. Through the enrichment of diversity and inclusion in smaller institutions and historically underrepresented groups, we aim to craft an exceptional training experience for scientists and students who otherwise might be deprived of these valuable opportunities. Together, we will propel MagNetUS towards new frontiers of scientific discovery and innovation.

Annual Meeting Working Group Chair

Name: 

Jason TenBarge

Affiliation: 

Princeton University, PPPL

Bio:

Dr. Jason TenBarge is a Research Scholar in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University and at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Dr. TenBarge studies basic plasma processes by applying and developing analytical and numerical tools to understand kinetic dissipation and transport in space, astrophysical, and laboratory plasmas. He received a physics PhD in 2009 from the University of Texas at Austin, where his research focused on relativistic plasma astrophysics. From 2009 to 2013, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Iowa studying solar wind turbulence. Afterwards, he moved to the University of Maryland College Park as a research scientist from 2013 to 2017 before moving to Princeton in 2017.

Statement:

MagnetUS is composed of a broad and diverse community of researchers. Yet, much of the outstanding work being done by the MagnetUS community is not fully appreciated by the larger space and astrophysics communities, who too often believe that laboratory plasma experiments have little to offer. As Chair of the MagnetUS Annual Meeting working group, I will strive to expand the diversity and community awareness of MagnetUS by leveraging my involvement and experience in the space and astrophysics communities to help bridge the divide between laboratory and space/astro plasma communities to foster cross-disciplinary interactions. 

Facilities Working Group Chair

Name: 

Joe Olson

Affiliation: 

U. Wisconsin--Madison

Bio:

Dr. Joe Olson is a research scientist at the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory through the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Physics. He received a BS in Physics from Pacific Lutheran University before attending UW–Madison for his graduate work in experimental plasma physics under Prof. Jan Egedal. His doctoral studies focused on designing and building the experimental basis of the Terrestrial Reconnection Experiment to study high Lundquist number, low collisionality magnetic reconnection in the lab. He continued on at UW–Madison as a post-doctoral researcher before transitioning to a scientist role. Currently, Dr. Olson leads experiments and advises student work on the Big Red Ball (BRB) device, studying fundamental properties in many astrophysical plasmas including shocks, magnetic reconnection, dynamos, and turbulence. He also acts as facilitator for external collaborator projects that occur on the BRB.

Statement:

I have been involved with MagNetUS over the last several years, serving on the local organizing and programming committees for the annual meetings in 2021 and 2022, as well as the bylaws development and initial election committees for MagNetUS. Through this, I have seen just how important this organization can be for our community. Bringing together the many moving parts, between the larger experimental facilities, smaller scale experiments, and user base, is essential to establishing MagNetUS as an independent and cohesive organization and is a critical function of the various working groups. If elected as chair of the facility coordination working group, I plan to continue the excellent work done so far in consolidating the proposal review process for the WiPPL, BaPSF, MPRL, and DIII-D Frontier Science facilities. Though this work has not technically been under the umbrella of MagNetUS as of yet, I view it as a tangible byproduct of the organization with the recognition that the community has been the driving force for this process. Making the joint proposal review better organized and more accessible is an important element of facility coordination. In addition, many diagnostic and hardware resources can be better utilized and shared among the various facilities, opening up new experimental capabilities on each device. The facility coordination working group can provide a more formal framework for these collaborations and help establish a database of scientific configurations and capabilities that is accessible to the broader community. Finding ways to pull in the smaller scale experiments into these endeavors will also be a focus of this working group.

User Base Working Group Chair

Name: 

Mel Abler

Affiliation: 

Space Science Institute

Bio:

Mel Abler (they/them) is a Research Scientist at the Space Science Institute and a user on the LAPD specializing in laboratory studies of turbulence and nonlinear wave-wave interactions, most recently focused on residual energy generation in strong Alfvénic turbulence. Mel is a passionate advocate for improving inclusion in physics, and currently serves as the Secretary-Treasurer of the APS DPP Pride Committee. Outside the lab, Mel is an avid theater goer and competitive rower. 

Statement:

I’m excited by the opportunity to serve on the MagNetUS board and help the organization grow the fundamental laboratory plasma physics community. If elected as Chair of the User Base Working Group, my priorities will be to set up systems to regularly collect and synthesize feedback from all facility users, work with facility staff to develop onboarding materials for each facility, and to further broaden the user base by promoting MagNetUS facilities to the broader space & plasma physics communities (e.g. summary posters at conferences, proposing laboratory-relevant sessions at space physics conferences, advocating for the importance of small and midscale facilities which study fundamental physics in calls for programmatic input, etc). Thank you for your consideration!

Name: 

Sayak Bose

Affiliation: 

PPPL

Bio:

SAYAK BOSE is a staff research physicist in the Discovery Plasma Science department of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). He joined PPPL as an associate research physicist in 2019. His research interests include basic plasma physics, laboratory astrophysics, and fusion plasma physics. He primarily conducts experiments to understand the conversion of magnetic energy to the plasma kinetic energy during magnetic reconnection, Alfvén wave physics relevant to the coronal heating problem, rapid reorganization of magnetic field during sawtooth oscillations in Tokamak plasmas, and the effect of boron powder injection on plasma performance in Tokamaks. Before joining PPPL, he was a postdoc at Columbia University and did his doctoral research at the Institute for Plasma Research, India.

Statement:

I am running for the position of Chair of the user base working group. My past experiences as a user at LArge Plasma Device (LAPD) and DIII-D will help me serve the MagNetUS community effectively. Performing experiments at facilities is usually rewarding but can be challenging occasionally. I would like to set up an effective channel for constructively sharing user feedback with facilities. The feedback channel will not seek to undermine direct contact between users and facilities but rather complement it. For example, a constructive use of the feedback channel would be to generate a list of new requirements needed for future experiments at facilities. I will strive to work with everyone in the community to build an inclusive environment, attract new users, advocate for users' needs, and increase student and postdoc participation.

Education/Outreach/Workforce Development Working Group Chair

Name: 

Ehab Hassan

Affiliation: 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Bio:

I'm Dr. Ehab Hassan, and I work as a plasma physicist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Fusion Energy Division. My career has been dedicated to conducting research in magnetized plasma physics in both space and fusion contexts. I completed my educational journey with a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physics from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin in Texas. During my doctoral studies, I delved into the realm of plasma turbulence and transport in the ionosphere and solar winds through theoretical modeling and computer simulations. Within the fusion field, my focus is on developing high-performing steady-state plasma scenarios and investigate plasma turbulent transport within the Core-Edge-SOL (CESOL) regions in tokamaks. Beyond my research, I've accumulated over twenty years of experience teaching and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in both the United States and Egypt. I also proudly serve as a Career Mentor at the American Physical Society and actively volunteer in educational initiatives such as the Tennessee Science Bowl and Hour of Code events in East Tennessee schools.

Statement:

In my academic journey across the US and Egypt, I have prioritized teaching, mentoring, and training alongside research, firmly believing in nurturing the next generation for the future of magnetized plasma research. I'm particularly passionate about outreach programs in space and nuclear plasma physics, areas that could be more accessible to US college students. The vision of the 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 by working closely with the MagNetUS Outreach and Education Committee to organize seminars and workshops in high schools and technical colleges, offering valuable insights into magnetized plasma physics and nuclear fusion energy and providing opportunities for new career prospects. These outreach activities will inform students about exciting internship 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.

Name: 

Saikat Chakraborty Thakur

Affiliation: 

Auburn University

Bio:

I am a Research Assistant Professor at Auburn University (AU) in the Magnetized Plasma Research Lab (MPRL) collaborative research facility. I come from a small town in India and am the first 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, continued to do a master’s in physics at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur and then joined West Virginia University (WVU) to pursue a PhD in plasma physics. After graduating from WVU, I joined the Center for Energy Research (CER) at UC-San Diego (UCSD) as a postdoc and continued as a Project Scientist, until I moved to Auburn in 2020. In addition to my research on fundamental plasma physics (electrostatic double layers; drift wave instabilities, turbulence and transport, dusty plasmas and plasma self-organization), I love working with students (mentored > 30 undergraduate and > 30 high school students, in addition to graduate students in our lab) to encourage them to pursue STEM fields and to motivate the next generation of plasma scientists. I was the founding member and served as the Chair of the Outreach and Diversity Committee at CER, UCSD from the very beginning until 2020, when I left UCSD. I am also a member of the Education and Outreach Committee (E&O) of the APS-DPP, US-Fusion Outreach Team and a member at large for the Coalition of Plasma Science (CPS).

Statement:

Being from a small town in India (with English as a second language), a first-generation student in college and an immigrant pursuing higher studies in the US, I have a wide range of experiences which have made me critically aware of the crucial need for a strong, safe and collegial environment with a robust “Outreach, Education and Workforce Development” component for any organization to be sustainable and achieve long-term success. Having been involved with MagNetUS since its beginning, as a Program Committee member in the first MagNetUS Annual Meeting at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and a local organizing committee member for the third MagNetUS Annual Meeting at Auburn, I am motivated to ensure the long-term success of MagNetUS as a community driven, bottom up, user defined 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 restricting to, traditionally underrepresented communities. I would like to bring together various stakeholders such as postdocs and young scientists, Professors from PUI (Primarily Undergraduate Institutions), MSI (Minority-Serving Institutions) and community colleges, high school teachers via training workshops, graduate, undergraduate and high school students to fulfill these goals. I also plan to work with other like-minded organizations such as the APS-DPP E&O Committee, the Small College Plasma Consortium, CPS, USFOT and the APS-Public Engagement team.

Software/Data Management Working Group Chair

Name: 

Nick Murphy

Affiliation: 

Center for Astrophysics

Bio:

I am an astrophysicist, research software engineer, and harbinger of metadata standardization at the Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I am the founder of PlasmaPy (an open source Python package for plasma research and education) and an advocate for making open science a core value of the plasma community.  I am an active member of the APS DPP Diversity Equity Inclusion and Accessibility Organizing Collective Committee. Starting with graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, my research has focused on understanding magnetic reconnection in the solar atmosphere and laboratory plasma experiments via numerical simulation and analytical theory.

Statement:

If elected as the inaugural chair of the Software and Data working group, my long-term goal would be to greatly reduce barriers to accessing MagNetUS software and data and thus joining the MagNetUS community. To work toward these goals, our community will need to grow our understanding of open science and knowledge equity principles. My highest priority will be to organize a summer school on how to contribute to an open source Python project in partnership with PlasmaPy. I will also help organize tutorials on topics such as how to use software such as PlasmaPy and OMFIT, how to create/adopt an open metadata standard, and fostering psychological safety in organizations. Whether or not I am elected, please reach out to me if you would like to start an open source Python package for your facility.

Proposed Amendments to the MagNetUS Bylaws

Amendment of Article VII Section i.b: Change in Name of Facility Coordination Working Group to Facilities Working Group and modification of wording for how the group will interact with runtime selection processes.

Current Text:

Facility Coordination: The Facility Coordination Working Group shall coordinate the communication across collaborative experimental facilities, including user-scale and smaller-scale experiments. The group shall help coordinate joint solicitations for user runtime on participating MagNetUS affiliated facilities, in conjunction with funding agencies as appropriate. The Facility Group can also develop a methodology for coordinating external collaborator proposals to the smaller scale experimental facilities. The Facility Coordination Working Group shall oversee diagnostic and hardware development for the Organization. The principal investigators of the MagNetUS collaborative facilities will be ex officio members of the working group. 

Proposed Text:

Facilities: The Facilities Working Group shall help coordinate the communication across collaborative experimental facilities, which can include larger, multi-user and smaller-scale, single-PI experiments. The group can provide insight and recommendations (as a representative of the Organization’s viewpoint) on any process for selection of runtime on participating MagNetUS affiliated facilities, in conjunction with funding agencies as appropriate. The Facilities Working Group can also help develop methodology for coordinating external collaborator proposals to smaller scale experimental facilities. The Facilities Working Group shall help recommend and advocate for diagnostic and hardware development for the Organization based on community needs. The principal investigators of the MagNetUS collaborative facilities will be ex officio members of this working group. 

Amendment of Article IX Section i: Change of wording to the Mechanism for external grants to better reflect the intention that funding procured by other institutions and PIs may be used to support MagNetUS activities. Wording changes are in bold.

Current Text:

i. MagNetUS may use funding from external grants from public entities, including any government funding agency, or private entities for MagNetUS activities. These activities include but are not limited to short term educational schools or training seminars, meetings or workshops; outreach, collaborator or user support (including travel grants to attend meetings or research functions at MagNetUS affiliated facilities); support infrastructure (including hardware/software development and data management); and internal functions (such as website fees, design costs, administrative support, etc). MagNetUS funding from external grants is not currently intended for direct support of affiliated facilities (such as direct maintenance costs, or upgrades to facility infrastructure) nor is it currently intended for the research salary of any Principal Investigator or team member. Salary for PIs intended for purely MagNetUS-relevant administrative activities is allowed. Proposals for computational time accessible to the MagNetUS community at large would fall under similar guidelines. Funding for MagNetUS activities may be sought as part of a larger overall research proposal, grant or collaborative agreement, but should be clearly specified and follow the general guidelines above for intended use. 

Proposed Text:

i. Funding from external grants, including any government funding agency or private entity, may be directed toward MagNetUS activities. These activities include but are not limited to short term educational schools or training seminars, meetings or workshops; outreach, collaborator or user support (including travel grants to attend meetings or research functions at MagNetUS affiliated facilities); support infrastructure (including hardware/software development and data management); and internal functions (such as website fees, design costs, administrative support, etc). Funding intended for MagNetUS activities may not be used for funding of direct maintenance costs or upgrades to facility infrastructure at a particular facility, or research salary. However, funding that supports MagNetUS affiliated facilities broadly (such as traveling diagnostics/equipment or shared storage facilities) is permitted. Salary for PIs intended for purely MagNetUS-relevant administrative activities is allowed. Proposals for computational time accessible to the MagNetUS community at large would fall under similar guidelines. Funding for MagNetUS activities may be sought as part of a larger overall research proposal, grant or collaborative agreement, but should be clearly specified and follow the general guidelines above for intended use.