Work Experience

Research Scientist                                                                              September 2015 to present

Research Associate                                                                   January 2013 to September 2015

Institute for Fusion Studies; The University of Texas at Austin

Postdoctoral Research Associate                                               January 2011 to December 2012

Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik; Garching, Germany

Fusion Energy Sciences Internship                                                           June 2007 to August 2007

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Livermore, CA

Graduate Research Assistant                                                          June 2006 to December 2010

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Education

Ph.D.         Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2010

B.S. (4.0)   Mathematics, Utah State University, 2006

      Physics, Utah State University, 2005

Grants, Honors, and Awards

• Lead Principal Investigator for the SciDAC Partnership for Multiscale Gyrokinetic (MGK) Turbulence (2017-2022)
  • $900k/year distributed among five institutions (UT-Austin, LLNL, U. Maryland, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, MIT)
• Nominated for 2019 Nuclear Fusion award for the publication “Microtearing Turbulence Limiting the JET-ILW Pedestal”
• Institutional Principal Investigator for the SciDAC Partnership Center for High Fidelity Boundary Plasma Simulation ($140k/year, 2017-2022)
• Co-Investigator for Institute for Fusion Studies (IFS) Block Grant, 2016-present
• PI of 2020 NERSC ERCAP award for 70m Cori core hours: “Gyrokinetic turbulence and transport: From basic understanding to truly predictive capability”
• Primary or senior investigator on several computation grants with personal use of 20+ million cpu hours/year (TACC, NERSC, Cineca, OLCF, IFERC-CSC, etc.), 2012-present
• Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fusion Energy Sciences Fellowship, 2006-2010
• Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, 2003-2005
• University Club Scholarship (four-year, full-tuition with stipend), Utah State University, 1999
• National Merit Scholar, 1999

Professional Activities

• Program committee, IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, 2020
• Panelist, Advancing Fusion with Machine Learning workshop, 2019
• Leader of DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences FY19 Theory Performance Target (TPT), a joint research initiative whose progress is reported to Congress
• Lecturer at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, October 2018
• Fusion Energy Sciences representative for the SciDAC-4 coordinating committee, 2017-present
  • Liaison between fusion SciDAC projects and ASCR (Advanced Scientific Computing Research)
• Executive Committee, Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference, 2017-present
  • Chair of Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference, 2019
  • Co-Chair of Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference, 2018
• Program Committee, U.S. Magnetic Fusion Research Strategic Directions, 2017-2018
  • Co-Chair, Fusion Market Attractiveness Working Group
• Founder, Executive Committee, Early Career Fusion Scientists Forum, 2017-present
• Panelist, FES/ASCR Exascale Review Meeting, 2016
• Program Committee, Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference, 2016
• Speaker at physics workshop for Austin-area high school students, 2015
• Panelist, National Science Foundation, 2014
• Proposal Reviewer, National Science Foundation, 2013-present
• Member, American Physical Society, 2006-present
• Journal Referee:
  • Communications in Computational Physics
  • Computer Physics Communications
  • Nature Communications
  • Nuclear Fusion
  • Physics of Plasmas
  • Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
  • Physical Review Letters