Plasma science and its many applications make significant contributions to society and to the quality of our lives. But this exciting and rapidly progressing field of science is little understood or appreciated by the general public, including the media, the education community and policy-makers.

As a result, progress in education, support for basic research, and the pace of technological innovations stemming from plasma science all suffer.

To remedy this situation, a group of individuals and organizations with an interest in plasma science research and applications joined together to form the Coalition.

The mission of CPS is to increase public awareness and understanding of plasma science and its many applications and benefits for society.

The goals and objectives of CPS are to:

• Unite the plasma science research community behind a common message about the value and importance of its research, and share that message via publications, presentations and special events;
• Promote a strategy of educational out-reach aimed at the K-12 level;
• Broaden support for ongoing plasma science research and educational efforts within the scientific community, at colleges and universities, at the national laboratories and in the business and industrial communities;
• Maintain a web site that provides information about plasmas and has appropriate references and links to show the wonder, utility and diversity of plasmas.

Use this form to join CPS and/or sign up for our newsletter. A member of the Coalition for Plasma Science Steering Committee will be in touch with you regarding prospective membership for your organization. Please email egk0033 [at] auburn.edu and orlov [at] fusion.gat.com if you run into any issues with the form or other questions.

Meetings of the Coalition are typically held the third Thursday of the month. Participation in the Coalition is accomplished by conference call - a virtual meeting. All are welcome to attend.

Current CPS officers (as of July 2022):

• Chair: Evdokiya Kostadinova, Auburn University 
• Vice-Chair: Dmitri Orlov, UCSD 
• Treasurer: Steve Dean, Fusion Power Associates 
• Secretary: Matthew Moynihan, New Light Fusion Consultants
• Paul Rivenberg, MIT 

Members At-Large:

• Arturo Dominguez, PPPL 
• Elizabeth Sterling, GA
• Mark Kushner, UM Ann Arbor
• Richard Temkin, MIT
• Matthew Moynihan, New Light Fusion Consultants 
• Saikat Chakraborty Thakur, Auburn University

Current list of supporting organizations (as of September 2021):

• American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics (APS-DPP)
  
• APS Gaesous Electronics Conference (GEC)
• Auburn University
• Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics & Engineering Research, Baylor University
• Center for Energy Research UCSD
• Fusion Power Associates
• General Atomics
• IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society
• Michigan Institute for Plasma Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

The Coalition for Plasma Science has initiated and carried out a number of events and activities directed toward its goal of increasing public awareness and understanding of plasma science and its many applications and benefits for society.

Below is a brief list of some of those efforts, some completed as well as some underway or planned. The audience for these activities and events includes the media, the education community and government policy makers. Our goal is to represent a broad range of plasma science interests and to have a significant impact on the public and congressional awareness of plasma science.

List of speakers:

    1. Edward Thomas, Jr. - College of Science and Math (COSAM) Interim Dean and Physics Department professor at Auburn University

    2. Arturo Dominguez - Science Education Senior Program Leader at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab

    3. Shahid Rauf - Managing Director, Plasma Technology at Applied Materials