Igniter Awards Honor NIF&PS Culture Builders

The NIF&PS directorate honored the recipients of the 2025 NIF&PS Igniter Awards: Anne Provost, Arsenia Rendon, John Jett, and Raspberry Simpson for outstanding commitment to building a positive, innovative work culture within NIF&PS.

Livermore Institute for Fusion Technology Honored for Innovation

The East Bay Economic Development Alliance honored LLNL with a 2026 East Bay Innovation Award in the Catalyst Category for the Livermore Institute for Fusion Technology (LIFT).

LLNL Optics Expert Wren Carr Named SPIE Fellow

LLNL's Wren Carr was selected as a Fellow of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. He is the science and technology group leader for NIF laser-induced damage and mitigation science.

LLNL Physicist Finds Beauty, Peace, and Flow in Nordic Skiing

From dialing in ski wax and stride timing to shaping laser pulses at NIF, LLNL physicist Jean-Michel Di Nicola knows how Nordic skiing and inertial confinement fusion can both depend on maximizing energy and precision timing.

Lab Physicist Wins Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize

LLNL scientist Elizabeth Grace won the 2026 European Physical Society-Plasma Physics Division Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize for groundbreaking work in developing a single-shot laser imaging technique.

LIFT Director Tammy Ma Featured in Washington Post’s 'Post Next' 2026

The Washington Post profiled Tammy Ma, director of LLNL's Livermore Institute for Fusion Technology, as part of the newspaper's "Post Next" list of 50 people who will define the stories of 2026. Read more ...

Fusion Power Associates Honors NIF Target Innovator Abbas Nikroo

Abbas Nikroo, deputy director for physics integration at LLNL's National Ignition Facility, received the 2025 Distinguished Career Award by Fusion Power Associates.

Where Beam Paths and Career Paths Intersect

As a laser safety officer, Hayden Johnson knows the location and handling protocols for hundreds of lasers across the Lab. Here's why serving in this role is especially fulfilling.

Target Fab's Suhas Bhandarkar: From Inception to Ignition and Beyond

Tiny parts and absolute meticulousness define Suhas Bhandarkar’s award-winning career. He leads a team that helps transform LLNL’s physicists’ bold ideas into reality at NIF.

Vincent Tang Returns to Lead NIF&PS Directorate

LLNL Director Kim Budil named Vincent Tang as the principal associate director (PAD) to lead the NIF and Photon Science directorate.

HEDS Fellow Patricia Cho Probes Cosmic Mysteries

For Patricia Cho, an experimental physicist who is conducting opacity measurement experiments at NIF, a High Energy Density Science Center fellowship allowed her to branch out from her Ph.D. work to explore new areas of astrophysics.

LLNL Physicist Receives Edward Teller Award

LLNL physicist Hye-Sook Park has been awarded the Edward Teller Award for 2025 by the American Nuclear Society.

David Alessi Named Senior Member of Optica

LLNL physicist David Alessi has been named a senior member of Optica, an international society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving, and dissemination of knowledge in the field of optics and photonics.

LLNL Laser Experts Shine at Laser Safety Conference

Laser safety experts from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory led several important sessions and presentations on the latest advances in laser technology and safety practices during the 2025 International Laser Safety Conference.

Nuclear Fusion Journal Recognizes LLNL Paper

LLNL nuclear engineer Charles Yeamans and co-authors G. Elijah Kemp, Zachary Walters, Heather Whitley, Patrick McKenty, Emma Garcia, Yujia Yang, Stephen Craxton, and Brent Blue.have been recognized with the 2024 Nuclear Fusion Award for outstanding work published in the journal.

Jeff Wisoff Reflects on Decades of National Service

As he wraps up his 24-year career at LLNL, Jeff Wisoff reflects on his time as Principal Associate Director of NIF & Photon Science, the achievement of fusion ignition, and how serving as a NASA astronaut informed his approach to leadership.

Igniter Award Winners Support Their Colleagues — And the Lab’s Missions

The second annual NIF & Photon Science Igniter Awards recognize two team members, Sara Novell and Melissa Meier, who have gone above and beyond to inspire and support their colleagues to reach greater heights, both professionally and personally.

Three LLNL Scientists Honored with Presidential Early-Career Award

Design physicist Kelli Humbird, who has been recognized for her innovative application of machine learning in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) physics, was one of three distinguished LLNL researchers honored with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) award.

Spotlighting a Legend of Laser Safety

When Jamie King first began working as a radiation safety technician, laser safety had yet to truly emerge as a specialized field. King saw opportunities for his efforts to make a noticeable difference in the field.

From Ignition in the Laboratory to Fusion Energy

LLNL physicist Dan Casey outlined the challenges involved in moving from the achievement of fusion ignition at LLNL’s National Ignition Facility to practical inertial fusion energy at a recent Kavli Frontiers of Science symposium in Kyoto, Japan.