Kathreen Thome
Magnetic Fusion Energy, General Atomics
Research Focus
Research Interests
About Kathreen
Dr. Kathreen Thome is an experimental plasma physicist for General Atomics in San Diego. Her interest in plasmas and fusion began in her 10th-grade chemistry class when she first learned about fusion, the process that produces energy in the stars. This led her to commit to focusing her career on developing this energy source for terrestrial use. After high school, Dr. Thome attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she received her B.S. in Nuclear Science and Engineering in 2009 and conducted research at MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center. After enjoying her undergraduate research and classes in plasma physics, she continued towards her goal by earning her Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2016. After graduation, she began working on-site at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, first as a postdoctoral scientist and, since 2018, as a staff scientist.
Education
Postdoc
DIII-D National Fusion Faciclity, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, 01/2016 - 6/2018
Ph.D.
Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 06/2016
Master's
Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 06/2011
Bachelor's
Nuclear Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 06/2009
