Columbia Engineering Launches the Columbia Fusion Research Center

Columbia Engineering is proud to announce the launch of the Columbia Fusion Research Center, which aims to accelerate the development of fusion energy science and technology to provide a sustainable and scalable energy source for the benefit of society. Carlos Paz-Soldan, associate professor of applied physics and applied mathematics at Columbia Engineering, will serve as founding director.

The Center aims to accelerate the development and deployment of this technology through deep engagement with the fusion private sector. It will nurture existing partnerships with industry and provide a strategic framework for collaboration with new partners. The Center will approach the complex research challenges facing fusion energy by facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration across fields including mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, materials science, data science, plasma astrophysics, and energy policy.

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The private sector is racing to develop an approach to economically generate electricity using this safe and sustainable source. The Center aims to support this effort through an innovative partnership mechanism that enables timely access to expertise from academia. This will strengthen Columbia’s partnerships with the constellation of fusion startups that currently sponsor research at the University and set the stage for additional partnerships. 

“The establishment of a center for fusion energy represents a great milestone for Columbia,” said Shih-Fu Chang, dean of Columbia Engineering. “We have one of the most well-established plasma physics research laboratories in the nation and have been expanding our efforts ever since. This new Center is a significant step forward for fusion energy science and the search for more sustainable energy solutions.”

The Center will further support research by funding projects and fellowships that offer early career researchers the opportunity to work without the burden of meeting specific external grant requirements. The Center will also support undergraduate-focused computational programs and contests for Columbia students, a summer internship program for undergraduate and graduate students, and a weekly seminar series. It will also support a K-12 student-run outreach program operated by Plasma Physics Laboratory. 

“We see an opportunity to align our research and teaching to the needs of our industry members during this period of rapid growth for the fusion sector,” Paz-Soldan said. “To expand quickly, they need a workforce that’s able to execute their plans and access to expertise that can respond quickly to problems and opportunities. We’re positioning ourselves to grow alongside the fusion industry.”

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Since 1864, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University has been a resource to the world for major advances in human progress. Today, Columbia Engineering is a global leader in engineering education, research, and impact. Located in the heart of New York City, the school convenes more than 250 faculty members and 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students to push the frontiers of knowledge and solve humanity’s most pressing problems.

Lead Photo Credit: In fusion, powerful magnets contain high-energy plasma that is far hotter than the center of the Sun.

Lead Photo Credit: Kailey Whitman