Maria Gatu-Johnson elected APS Division of Plasma Physics Fellow

Julianna Mullen

October 20, 2023

MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center Principal Research Scientist Maria Gatu Johnson has been elected an American Physical Society (APS) Division of Plasma Physics Fellow for her analysis of the behavior of plasmas in inertial confinement fusion tests, an essential contribution to improving the performance of fusion reactions. Among other achievements, Gatu Johnson’s work was instrumental in verifying the results of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s historic net energy gain experiments in December 2022 and again in August of this year.

APS Fellows are individuals who have made exceptional contributions to physics research, applications, or teaching. “Being selected by a committee of my peers for this fellowship is truly an
honor, and a reflection of all the hard work we put in as a group to do good science together,” says Gatu Johnson. This year’s Fellows will be recognized at the annual APS Division of Plasma Physics meeting held in Denver the week of October 30.