By Caroline Liu (UCLCC Communications Intern 2025)
This August, the University of California Livermore Collaboration Center (UCLCC) launched its first ever week-long High Energy Density Science (HEDS) Summer School, an educational initiative to introduce and encourage the next generation of scientists to enter this specific field and pursue graduate degrees.
Introducing Students to HEDS
Over the course of one week, 24 undergraduates and post baccalaureates from UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC Merced, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz and UC San Diego participated in lectures, hands on learning activities and discussions on the topic of High Energy Density Science.
Students attended lectures ranging from shock and plasma physics to laboratory astrophysics and planetary science. This group was also given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with activities and professional development workshops such as resume writing and gaining more insight on career paths at national labs. Additionally, the participants were also given the opportunity to attend Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) tours as well as other self-organized social activities outside of the program, such as rock climbing.
Collaboration Across UC and National Laboratories
This pilot program was a success due to the efforts of a close collaboration between the UC Campuses and LLNL staff scientists. Key collaborators included Dr. Federica Coppari from LLNL, Dr. Camille Bibeau from UC Office of the President, Dr. Franklin Dollar from UC Irvine, Dr. David Stubbe from UC Merced and Dr. Farhat Beg from UC San Diego.
In addition to the key contributors, other UC faculty members from UC Berkeley and LLNL scientists were invited to provide introductory lectures in HEDS as well as insight on future career paths through sessions like the Early Career Panel.
High energy density science – the study of extreme conditions of energy and matter under stars or planets – is underrepresented in academia. Since the fusion breakthrough in 2022, there has been a need and ever-growing workforce from the industry sector in HEDS that will immensely benefit from an increased pool of talent. As the field of HEDS is less well known than other traditional related fields of planetary science, the program intended to introduce undergraduates who have little to no exposure to careers in HEDS related fields to grow the pipeline of future undergraduate students and workforce in this field. The UCLCC facility granted UC Campuses and LLNL to work together to expose students to research, encourage new career paths and explore experimental facilities at a national laboratory.
Christopher Zhen, an incoming junior at UC San Diego expressed how “the HEDS Summer School program has greatly opened multiple pathways in exploration of plasmas, lasers and fusion. I greatly appreciate the speakers I’ve listened to, the facilities I’ve toured, the knowledge and connections I have made here.” Not only was this week a success in introducing students to HEDS, but it also allowed students to create friendships and connections with other UC students across the different campuses who are all interested in the same field. “I have made such good friends here and it was overall a great experience.”
By having experts across UC and LLNL present introductory seminars on HEDS, students engaged in how HED phenomena is measured, the applications of HED science and had the chance to interact closely with HEDS scientists, which is a rare and fulfilling experience. “I did not have much exposure to this many scientists before,” explains Anushka Rajasekhar, an undergraduate junior at UC Berkeley. “Talking to scientists made me understand my career path.”
The success of this program demonstrates the power of collaboration between UC and the national laboratories. As the field of HEDS continues to grow, programs like the HEDS Summer School are crucial to shape the future of the field to encourage the next generation of scientists to continue research and its science.
