Jose Lopez, Seton Hall University

“Low Temperature Plasma Technologies and Applications”

Abstract: This presentation will present an overview of recent research and technological advances in the rapidly growing field of low-temperature plasmas (LTP) and their applications. An introduction will be given on the relevant physics of low-temperature plasmas. A few of the extensive applications of LTP enabled technologies have been extended to such areas as environmental remediation, organic / biological material processes and treatment, and in the realm of medicine, health, and agriculture.

Bio: Jose L. Lopez received the B.S. degree in physics from Saint Peter’s University, Jersey City, NJ, USA, in 2000, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA, in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

In 2005, he returned to Saint Peter’s University as an Assistant Professor of physics. During his professorship at Saint Peter’s University, he was a Co-Founder of the Department of Applied Science and Technology in 2008. In 2009, he was the Founder and the Director of the Center for Microplasma Science & Technology (CMST), which is the United States Congressional Designated National Center of Excellence in the scientific study of microplasmas. In 2011, he joined the Department of Physics, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, USA, as a member of the faculty, where he founded the Laboratory of Electrophysics and Atmospheric Plasmas (LEAP). Since 2014, he has been a Visiting Professor and a Researcher with the Plasma Science and Technology Department, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. He is currently a Professor of Physics with the Department of Physics, Seton Hall University. He is also the Director of LEAP, whose research group studies, develops, and applies a wide range of theoretical and experimental techniques to understand, predict, and design novel electron-driven processes to generate plasmas with applications in lighting, energy conversion, and materials modification, and in environmental and clean water technologies. His research has led to the development of various novel plasma-assisted environmental remediation technologies, which use atmospheric and higher pressure plasmas to clean and remove contamination in air and water. His research with ozone generation processes using microplasmas has led to substantially increased performance and optimization of large-scale industrial ozone generators used in municipal water treatment facilities all over the world. Most recently, he has expanded his research interests in plasmas for agriculture applications leading to discoveries of growth enhancement in botanicals. His applied and basic scientific investigations have garnered funding of over U.S. $4 million from various sources, such as the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Army Research Office, and the National Aeronautical and Space Agency along with various industrial partners and private research foundations. He has authored more than 30 scientific publications, including the book Complex Plasmas—Scientific Challenges and Technological Applications. He is a highly acclaimed science communicator to broadcast mass media, where he has served as a science expert to various local, national, and international news organizations, such as NJ News, MSNBC, and Fox News. He additionally served as the Science and Technology Correspondent to the Emmy award-winning news panel discussion television series, Fresh Outlook.

Dr. Lopez is a recipient of various awards and distinctions throughout his career. He has been nationally honored for his contributions to the United States of America by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He was recognized in 2012 by Inside Jersey of the New Jersey Star Ledger and NJ.com as one of the Top 20 Biggest Brains in New Jersey, whose exceptional intellect is changing the world. He was conferred the President’s Award for Student Service for his accomplishments in teaching and mentoring of students at Seton Hall University. He has served as the General Chair and a Head Organizer for the 2017 IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science held in Atlantic City, NJ, USA, in 2017. He also serves as the Senior Editor of Industrial, Commercial, and Biological Applications of Plasmas for the IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. Since 2021, he has been