2026 Delegation

Juan Miguel Valderrama

Chair

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Juan is a first-year PhD student in Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research interests focus on developing computational tools to better understand tritium breeding, transport, and accountancy in future fusion energy systems. He earned his BS in nuclear engineering from the University of Florida and completed undergraduate internships at Constellation, General Atomics, and Argonne National Laboratory. In his free time, Juan enjoys exploring new coffee shops and finding sunset-watching spots around Madison.

Jessica Eskew

Vice Chair

Auburn University

Jessica is a PhD candidate in Physics at Auburn University. She is currently conducting research at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility through the DOE SCGSR program. Her work focuses on magnetic island bifurcation and magnetic topology control to understand electron diffusion and mitigate runaway electron. She earned her BS in Physics with a concentration in Astrophysics from the Georgia Institute of Technology and previously taught high school physics at the Wesleyan School. This is her second year on FuSD. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking, surfing, skiing, and creating art.

Lauryn Kortman

Vice Chair

University of Michigan

Lauryn is a second-year Nuclear Engineering PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, where she studies radiation effects on plasma-facing materials using experimental triple-beam ion irradiations. She earned her BS in Materials Science from MIT in 2024, where she researched radiation effects on high-temperature superconductors for fusion applications. Outside of her research, she enjoys cycling, blacksmithing, and traveling.

Nivedan Vishwanath

Vice Chair

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Nivedan is a PhD student in Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research involves developing quantum-enhanced laser diagnostics for fusion-relevant environments. He earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, where he worked on computational aerodynamics and high-powered rocketry. Outside of work, you’ll find Nivedan sailing or bouldering around the Madison area.

Omar Alsaeed

North Carolina State University

Omar is a PhD Candidate at NC State. He holds a BA in Physics (with a minor in Computer Science) from Middlebury College and a BE in Energy Engineering from Dartmouth College. His research investigates instability in low-temperature plasmas with applications in semiconductor manufacturing. Omar is driven by the belief that plasma technology can make the world a better place. In his free time, he enjoys reading, visual art, and non-competitive triathlon training. Omar’s goal is to ensure that the hardware powering our digital world is produced and powered more efficiently and sustainably.

Venus Aradhya

California Institute of Technology

Venus is a undergraduate Physics and EE student at Caltech, where she builds spectroscopy diagnostics to study Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities and magnetic helicity dynamics. She has developed a heterodyne interferometer to probe plasma density in a Z-pinch device at Zap Energy. Venus is also involved in quantum physics research, including mitigating quantum noise for LIGO using reinforcement learning and studying superconductivity with NV center quantum magnetometry, with a strong interest in applying fundamental physics to technologies that address global challenges. Outside of research, Venus enjoys exploring nature, and is passionate about music, playing guitar and singing.

Charlie Behrman

Purdue University

Charlie is a third-year undergraduate Nuclear Engineering honors student at Purdue University. His research focuses on understanding microscale gas breakdown in plasma devices, which he studies through computer simulations (PIC) and mathematical modeling. He is motivated by a passion for advancing fusion energy and by the challenge of understanding magnetically confined plasmas. Outside of research, he enjoys hiking, playing tennis, and following Formula One.

Avery Davis

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Avery is a first-year undergraduate and Morehead-Cain Scholar at UNC–Chapel Hill from Garden City, New York. She is majoring in Applied Sciences and Classics, with a strong interest in fusion power. She wrote a children’s book about fusion titled Fusion Nova and delivered a TEDxAndover talk to help increase youth engagement in the field. Avery hopes to continue her fusion education efforts through FuSD. In her free time, she enjoys watching old movies, rowing, and spending time outdoors.

Corina Dunn

Princeton University

Corina is a first-year PhD student at Princeton University. At the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, she studies magnetic reconnection, a plasma process in which magnetic field lines break and rearrange. She received her BA in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley in 2025. Outside of research, Corina enjoys arts and crafts and trying new and interesting produce. Recently she’s gotten interested in bookbinding; one project was the NRL plasma formulary.

Jack Fletcher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jack is a fourth-year PhD student at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, where his research focuses on developing computational methods to reduce uncertainties in neutron diagnostics. He received a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, with minors in German, Mathematics, and Physics, from Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2022. Jack’s policy interests span energy and national security, particularly the role nuclear technologies play in both areas. In his free time, he plays the tuba in brass bands around Massachusetts.

Kate Krogen

William & Mary

Kate is a first-year PhD student at William & Mary, where she plans to study magnetic confinement fusion. She received her BS at Centre College, majoring in Physics with minors in Mathematics and Spanish. She spent two summers conducting tokamak research at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, which inspired her passion for plasma physics. In her free time, Kate enjoys swimming and playing the violin.

Elyse Lian

University of Washington

Elyse is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Washington majoring in Aerospace Engineering and Physics. She is an undergraduate research assistant in the UW Flow Z-Pinch Lab, where she is developing a spectroscopic diagnostic to study plasma–material interactions. She also has experience working with interferometry and soft x-ray detector systems. Elyse joined FuSD to take an active role in advancing fusion energy policy and to explore how different sectors contribute to the field. Outside of the lab, she enjoys running and baking.

Matt Tobin

Columbia University

Matt is a PhD Candidate in Plasma Physics at Columbia University. His current research focuses on real-time stability monitoring for disruption avoidance in tokamaks. Before graduate school, his interests in field-reversed configurations and aneutronic fuel cycles led him to join TAE Technologies as a Junior Scientist. Matt is passionate about education outreach, policy in support of science, and evidence-based policymaking, all of which motivated him to participate in FuSD. He holds a BSE in Mechanical Engineering and Physics from Duke University.

Emma Zoccoli

Georgia Institute of Technology

Emma is an undergraduate mechanical engineering student at Georgia Tech and a current intern at Marathon Fusion, specializing in the fusion fuel cycle and simulating neutron behavior outside the plasma. She previously interned at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, studying fusion blanket systems and nonproliferation. Her interests focus on designing fusion systems that are economically scalable, inherently safe, and aligned with practical policy frameworks. Outside of research, she enjoys bouldering, yoga, and painting.

Clarissa Zuo

University of California, Los Angeles

Clarissa is a third-year undergraduate physics student at UCLA and this is her second year as part of FuSD. Her research focuses on simulating a radio-frequency heating antenna in the LArge Plasma Device (LAPD) at UCLA. She was also a SULI intern at ORNL in the Fusion Energy Division, where she completed a simulation of liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic flow in an electroconductive blanket manifold. She will be returning to Tennessee this summer, working on a project related to the Proto-Lite plasma device at ORNL. In her free time, she enjoys reading, climbing, and eating her way across the entirety of the LA metropolitan area.