
Current Project: Utilizing ML-based control on DIII-D to prepare for diagnostically-challenged environments in future fusion reactors
Josh is a plasma physicist-in-training originally from Branford, CT (right outside New Haven, the indisputable pizza capital of the world). Prior to coming to Princeton, he earned a bachelor's degree in Physics and Math in 2024 from Harvard College, where he worked on a few different research projects in an effort to find which subfield of physics "clicked" with him the most. These areas included computational astrophysics, material science, and pulsed power, but it was this last one that shed light on how tackling open questions in plasma physics often requires knowledge (and team members!) spanning a wide range of subfields, all in the name of solving pressing real-world challenges (e.g., affordable clean energy production).
Having now determined that this was the kind of science he wanted to do, Josh pivoted to researching how to most effectively tame the wild animals that are magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) plasmas. Currently, he works in Prof. Egemen Kolemen's Plasma Control Group to improve feedback algorithms that can help teams of tokamak operators control in real-time how plasmas behave on their machines for more stable and reliable energy production. In his free time, he enjoys running, juggling, knitting, cheering on Boston sports teams, playing ping pong, and solving puzzles of all kinds.