As division director, Carter will position ORNL as a key resource in U.S. plans for accelerating fusion energy development and evolve the lab's world-class technical capabilities in plasma physics, fusion materials and fusion technologies. He will also be responsible for developing major projects such as the Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment, or MPEX, and ORNL's research contributions to the international ITER experiment.

"Troy brings a wealth of fusion energy knowledge and leadership that I am confident will advance the lab's fusion energy strategy and strengthen ORNL's status as a world leader in fusion research," Mickey Wade, associate lab director for the Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate, said. "He is an active, influential member of the fusion community who will be a fantastic steward of ORNL's mission to develop environmentally friendly fusion energy solutions."

Carter comes to ORNL from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he served as a professor of physics and director of the Basic Plasma Science Facility, a national collaborative research facility for plasma science supported by DOE and the National Science Foundation. He was director of the Plasma Science and Technology Institute, an organized research unit at UCLA. Carter also led the DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee Long Range Planning process that produced the 2021 report, "Powering the Future: Fusion and Plasmas."

Carter holds bachelor of science degrees in physics and nuclear engineering from North Carolina State University and a doctorate in astrophysical sciences from Princeton University. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and a recipient of the APS Division of Plasma Physics John Dawson Award for excellence in plasma physics research.

Phil Snyder, who has served as interim director for the Fusion Energy Division since April 2023, is transitioning to a new leadership position as ORNL program manager for DOE's Fusion Energy Sciences, or FES, program. In this role, Snyder will serve as the primary interface for ORNL-wide engagement in FES programs and communicate ORNL capabilities to FES program managers and FES opportunities to ORNL staff.

"I thank Phil for his leadership of ORNL's Fusion Energy Division. His new role as ORNL program manager for FES programs will enhance ORNL's ongoing collaboration with federal fusion energy programs and further position ORNL as the leading fusion energy national laboratory," Wade said.

Troy Carter can be reached at carterta@ornl.gov