Social

Both social and educational events occur regularly, see below.

Educational Events

Student seminar

A weekly student-led seminar series highlights current trends in plasma/fusion and adjacent research. 

Most seminars can be offered in a hybrid format. If you would like to attend remotely, please email [email protected] ahead of time for the Zoom link. 

Coordinators: Daniel Burgess and Mel Russo

2/2/26, Monday, 12:00 PM, Plasma Lab Conference Room
Andrew Maris, "Is the density limit actually a collisionality limit?"

2/9/26, Monday, 12:00 PM, Plasma Lab Conference Room
Avigdor Veksler, Title TBD

2/16/26, Monday, 12:00 PM, Plasma Lab Conference Room
John Labbate, Title TBD, subtopic: stellarators

2/23/26, Monday, 12:00 PM, Plasma Lab Conference Room
Nick Zolman, Title TBD

3/2/26, Monday, 12:00 PM, Plasma Lab Conference Room
Freddie Sheehan, "Tokamak startup and pulse simulations"

3/9/26, Monday, 12:00 PM, Plasma Lab Conference Room
Mel Russo, "Climate Crash Course, Fusion Powered Ships, and NYC Stellarators"

4/13/26, Monday, 12:00 PM, Plasma Lab Conference Room
Daniel Burgess, "Crash course: MHD Instabilities"

Students listen to the plasma colloquium

External speakers come approximately every week during the semester to present research and programmatic topics in the plasma/fusion field.

A list of speakers can be found here:

https://www.apam.columbia.edu/plasma-physics-colloquium-34

Poster symposium

An annual undergraduate poster symposium is carried out for students conducting summer research at the plasma lab.

The 2025 event was documented here:

https://fusion.columbia.edu/news/third-annual-summer-student-poster-symposium-0

The 2024 event was documented here:

https://fusion.columbia.edu/news/2nd-annual-summer-student-poster-symposium

The 2023 event was documented here:

https://www.apam.columbia.edu/inaugural-plasma-physics-summer-student-poster-symposium

 

Students, staff, and faculty attend the annual American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics (APS-DPP) annual meeting, documenting their progress in research.

2025 activity is documented here:

https://fusion.columbia.edu/news/columbia-university-students-scientists-and-faculty-present-2025-annual-meeting-aps-division

2024 activity is documented here:

https://fusion.columbia.edu/news/columbia-university-plasma-physicists-2024-aps-annual-meeting

2023 activity is documented here:

https://www.apam.columbia.edu/columbia-students-and-scientists-shine-annual-meeting-plasma-physics

2022 activity is documented here:

https://www.apam.columbia.edu/columbia-university-plasma-physicists-2022-aps-dpp-meeting

Social Events

Once per month the Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics Students society hosts a happy-hour in the department or offsite, with catered food and beverages.

APAM Friday
Alumni Dinner

Every year during the APS-DPP annual meeting, students and alumni of the plasma program at Columbia meet to enjoy dinner together.

Retreat at Rocky Mountain National Park

Group retreats are conducted by PI groups, usually after the APS-DPP meeting.

Columbia Affiliations
Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics
Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science