honors & awards Archives

2007

Promotions 2007

Two at PSFC Promoted to Senior Research Staff

PSFC researchers Paul Bonoli and Paul Woskov were promoted to the rank of Senior Research Scientist and Senior Research Engineer, respectively.

On July 1, PSFC researchers Paul Bonoli and Paul Woskov were promoted to the rank of Senior Research Scientist and Senior Research Engineer, respectively. These positions represent the highest rank for research staff members at MIT, and are awarded only after extensive peer review at both the national and international level. The positions require approval by the Office of Vice President and Associate Provost for Research as well as the Academic Council. The promotions are awarded for decades of outstanding research and the leadership qualities of the named individuals.

Paul Bonoli joined the PSFC in 1986. He specializes in theoretical and computational plasma physics in the areas of radio frequency heating and current drive in toroidal confinement devices (tokamaks). He has developed detailed simulation models for radio frequency heating and current drive experiments, which include wave propagation, Fokker Planck, and transport calculations. These codes are used widely throughout the international fusion community. Paul is currently the principal investigator for the SciDAC Center for Wave-Plasma Interactions (SCWPI) and for the NSTX High Harmonic Heating and Current Drive Project at MIT. He is also currently serving as the co US Team Leader of the ITPA Working Group on Steady State Operations.

Paul Woskov has been at the PSFC since 1979. He is the principal U.S. investigator in an international partnership to develop fast ion collective Thomson scattering diagnostics for fusion burning plasmas. In the environmental area he has successfully developed novel instrumentation for monitoring thermal remediation processes and has lead an effort to develop a hazardous metals continuous emissions monitor using microwave plasmas. He has received six R&D 100 Awards for innovative inventions applying the use of millimeter-wave and microwave technologies and was a Discover Magazine Award finalist in the Environmental Technology category. Paul has 13 patents and over 150 publications.

Pfeifer and Toland Honored with Infinite Mile Award

Andy Pheiffer and Tom Toland winners of a 2007 Infinite Mile Award.

Two members of the PSFC community were honored this year with the MIT Infinite Mile Award (IMA). Andy Pfeifer and Tom Toland were recognized for their contributions to the PSFC at a reception on May 27 hosted by the sponsors of the award, the Offices of the Provost and the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost. In being nominated for this award, Andy Pfeiffer, Engineering and Diagnostics Shop Supervisor, was praised for his energy and drive: "On a given day he might be found in one or more areas of the laboratory, crawling, climbing, hanging, just doing whatever it takes to get the system ready. A day at work with him is like a day at the gym. Andy is a high-energy, high-talent individual, who possesses a combination of character, physical ability, ingenuity, and drive that help others succeed. He has been instrumental in making C-MOD the world class experiment it is today. Andy Pfeiffer typifies the excellence for which MIT is known worldwide."

Tom Toland, Project Technician Electro - Mechanical, was singled out for his work on Alcator C-Mod: "Tommy has worked very hard and has become an important contributor to the Alcator C-Mod project since joining PSFC in 1989. Although there are 23 Alcator technicians, Tommy has become one of a select few technicians who are allowed to help operate C-Mod. He has done an excellent job of maintaining our systems to very high standards, and has earned our trust. Tommy's contributions should be recognized with an Infinite Mile Award."

The award was created in 2001 as part of the MIT Rewards and Recognition program, to honor exceptional employees for service to their office, department, school, or to the Institute as a whole. It has become something of a tradition at the PSFC to honor IMA recipients at an Ice Cream Social in August.