Meet LLE’s leadership team who oversees critical areas such as experimental operations, laser science and technology, engineering, target fabrication, theory, sustainment, facility management, and more.
Chris sets the strategy for the lab. He manages the Laboratory’s senior management staff, providing executive-level guidance and direction. He participates in the day-to-day management of the Laboratory; fosters successful relationships among University Senior Leadership; federal, local, and state government officials; peer organizations and laboratories; Department of Energy; National Science Foundation; Department of Defense; private industry; and the local community.
Ph.D., Plasma Physics, Imperial College London. Fellow, APS and IEEE
Steve Stagnitto oversees human resources, finance and accounting, procurement, contractual management, publications and communications, and facility management. He also serves as the Facility Security Officer for the lab.
B.S., Optics, University of Rochester. M.B.A., Simon Business School
Gilbert “Rip” Collins, a Tracy Hyde Harris Professor of Physics and Mechanical Engineering, works with scientists and students at URochester, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and institutions worldwide, exploring and documenting the microphysics of high-energy-density science (curriculum and research).
Ph.D., Physics, The Ohio State University. Fellow, APS
Riccardo Betti is the Robert L. McCrory Professor, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester. He is also the Chief Scientist of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester. His research involves high-temperature plasma physics with applications to nuclear fusion.
Ph.D., Nuclear Engineering, MIT. Recipient, E.O. Lawrence Award, U.S. Department of Energy
Chuck Sorce is the Engineering Division Director who oversees a multidisciplinary division responsible for developing and maintaining the technology infrastructure essential for LLE’s research. This includes Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Information Technology.
B.A., Physics, SUNY Geneseo. M.B.A., Simon Business School
Sean Regan is the Director of the Experimental Division and holds a secondary teaching appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester. His division focuses on experiments, target fabrication and production, and diagnostic development for inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density physics.
Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University. Fellow, APS
This division leads LLE’s laser system projects, laser technology development, optical materials technology and optical manufacturing. Chris Deeney serves as the acting director of the division while Jon Zuegel, former Division Director, focuses on ultrafast lasers as the Project Director and Principal Investigator for NSF OPAL.
This position coordinates external users’ experiments at the Omega Laser Facility through the National Laser User Facility program (NLUF), Laboratory Basic Science program (LBS), and LaserNetUS.
Jason Puth oversees operations and sustainment for the Omega and Cryogenic & Tritium facilities and serves as a Laser Safety Officer. He has worked across nearly every part of the Omega laser systems since 2000, from subsystem engineering to Operations Manager before taking on his current role.
M.S., Optics, University of Rochester
Dustin Froula leads the PULSE Division. He is also a Professor of Physics (research) in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at URochester. His research focuses on experimental plasma and laser physics, including inertial fusion energy, laser–plasma interactions, inertial confinement fusion, and high-energy-density physics, using the OMEGA, OMEGA EP, and MTW laser systems.
Ph.D., Physics, UC Davis. Recipient, E.O. Lawrence Award
Scott Householder is the Chief Safety Officer. He leads a multidisciplinary safety team overseeing research and manufacturing labs, as well as the MTW, NSF OPAL, FLUX, OMEGA EP, and OMEGA 60 Laser Systems.
Electrical Safety Officer, University of Rochester
Valeri Goncharov is a Distinguished Scientist and the Theory Division Director. His division is responsible for complex modeling and simulations that predict implosion results, drawing on high-performance computing and AI to accelerate that work and sharpen its accuracy. Valeri is an Assistant Professor (research) in URochester’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, teaching graduate courses in advanced mathematical methods, partial differential equations, fluid mechanics, and plasma physics.
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester. Fellow, APS
