26th Technology of Fusion Energy Meeting (TOFE 2024)

Dr. Chris Hegna

Vice President

Type One Energy

Stellarator Physics Optimization Group

For more than two decades, Dr. Hegna has been a leading advocate of stellarators in the fusion community. At UW-Madison, he directed research initiative aiming to enhance stellarator concept through targeted optimization key plasma physics confinement issues. There, he led the Center for Plasma Theory and Computation for over two decades.

Dr. Hegna's expertise lies in theoretical plasma physics, and he is internationally acknowledged as a specialist in the magnetic confinement of plasmas and nuclear fusion. His academic contributions include authoring or co-authoring over 200 publications and mentoring more than two dozen Ph.D. students at UW-Madison. His academic and professional achievements have been recognized with numerous accolades. He has been honored as a Fellow of the American Physical Society, was a co-recipient of the 2014 John Dawson Award for excellence in plasma physics research, received the Nuclear Fusion Journal Award, and was designated the Harvey P. Spangler of the College of Engineering at UW-Madison. Furthermore, Dr. Hegna has exerted influential community leadership in the international fusion sector, including serving on the DOE’s Fusion Energy Science Advisory Committee.

For more than two decades, Dr. Hegna has been a leading advocate of stellarators in the fusion community. At UW-Madison, he directed a research initiative aiming to enhance the stellarator concept through targeted optimization of key plasma physics confinement issues. At Type One Energy, Dr. Hegna spearheads the Stellarator Physics Optimization Group, serving as the primary driver of the company’s stellarator design.