CER Spotlight

Hugo Pedro

Assistant Project Scientist, Coimbra Energy Group

What do you think a lay person would find most interested about your work?
Perhaps how difficult it is to actually predict the power generation from renewables even for very short time horizons. For instance, wind power is so variable that even sophisticated forecasting models have a hard time beating persistence (a model that assumes that the forecasted value is equal to the latest value measured) for horizons below one hour. more...

Past CER Spotlights

valerie-izzo

Valerie Izzo

Associate Research Scientist, Fusion Theory and Computational Sciences Group at General Atomics

What do you think a lay person would find most interested about your work?
Fusion energy research is right on the verge of producing the first net-power-out experiment, called ITER, which is under construction right now in France. Nearly all the sources of energy we use on earth right now come directly or indirectly from the sun, which produces energy by nuclear fusion. So, in trying to make a fusion reactor work on earth, we are basically just cutting out the middlemen. more ...

Saikat Chakraborty Thakur

Assistant Project Scientist, PISCES Lab and CSDX Project

What do you think a lay person would find most interested about your work?
This work, although done in a university-based laboratory, directly impacts the design and operation of future fusion reactors. If we can build a functioning fusion reactor, then the energy problem of the world will be practically solved, while maintaining a healthy climate. more...

Chris McGuffey

Assistant Project Scientist, High Energy Density Physics Group

What do you think a lay person would find most interested about your work?
With these short pulsed lasers, we might be able to initiate controlled nuclear fusion. Doing so would be an incredible scientific achievement and might eventually solve our unquestionable need to replace fossil fuels. more...

Simon Bott-Suzuki

Principal Investigator, Pulsed Power Plasmas Group

Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into your field?
All science is the meeting of theory and experimentation, and it is an advantage to have good knowledge in both areas. In my area, the ability to design and carry out detailed experimental work as well as construct, perform and analyze computational work is extremely valuable. Learn to embrace both aspects equally. more...