GPAP Newsletter and Business Meeting Note
Authors: Fan Guo, Jonathan Squire, Kris Klein, Damiano Caprioli, Dmitri Uzdensky
GPAP Annual Election
The GPAP Nominating Committee (chair: Fan Guo, members: Paulo Alves, Siyao Xu, Jongsoo Yoo) reported on the 2025 election process.
- Nominees Received and Vetted:
- Vice-Chair: 2 nominees
- Members-At-Large: 4 nominees for 2 positions
- Voter Participation: Approximately 18.7% of the GPAP membership.
- Election Results:
The following individuals were elected and will serve for the 2025–2026 term:
Executive Committee 2025–2026
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- Chair: Fan Guo (LANL)
- Chair-Elect: Damiano Caprioli (University of Chicago)
- Vice Chair: Muni Zhou (Dartmouth College)
- Past Chair: Jonathan Squire (University of Otago)
- Secretary/Treasurer: Kris Klein (University of Arizona)
- Council Representative: Michael Brown (Swarthmore; term 1/23–12/26)
Members-at-Large
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- Jack Hare (Cornell) 11/23 - 11/26
- Alexander Philippov (University of Maryland) 11/23 - 11/26
- Anna Tenerani (UT Austin) 11/24 - 11/27
- Vladimir Zhdankin (University of Wisconsin, Madison) 11/24 - 11/27
- Emily Lichko (NRL) Newly elected 11/25 - 11/28
- Yan Yang (University of Delaware) Newly elected 11-25 - 11/28
Fellowship and Honors
GPAP recognized community members receiving APS and DPP honors:
APS Fellowship Sponsored by GPAP
APS-DPP Awards
- Thomas H. Stix Award – Jack Hare
Citation: “For the development and exploration of pulsed-power experimental platforms to investigate magnetic reconnection in novel regimes and, in particular, their use in the study of reconnection in the presence of strong radiative cooling.”
- John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research:
Hantao Ji, Fatima Ebrahimi, Erik Gilson, Jeremy Goodman, Yin Wang
Citation: “For the first laboratory realization and theoretical investigations of both the hydrodynamic stability and the magneto-rotational instability in axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric forms that were proposed to operate in accretion plasmas to form planets, stars, and supermassive black holes.”
GPAP congratulates all awardees for their excellent contributions to plasma astrophysics and related disciplines!
Finances and Budget Report
Secretary/Treasurer Kris Klein presented the Budget 2025:
- Available Funds as of 9/30/25: $32,803.59
- 2025 Dues $2370
- Investment income $603.78
Announcements
Student Travel Grants
Student travel grant applications reached a record high of 17, significantly exceeding previous years.
Given increased demand and budget considerations, GPAP awarded five grants of $800 each:
- Maile Marriott (UT Austin)
- Yu Zhang (University of Rochester)
- Paul Gradney (University of Wisconsin)
- Nicholas Pham (PPPL)
- Shreya Dwivedi (University of Wisconsin)
Congratulations to all recipients from a highly competitive field.
Kulsrud Legacy — Journal of Plasma Physics Special Collection
GPAP announced a JPP Special Collection to honor the memory and legacy of Professor Russell M. Kulsrud (1928–2025).
The collection spans topics across plasma physics, including magnetic confinement, space and solar plasmas, and astrophysical plasma processes.
Collection Editor: Dmitri A. Uzdensky
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-plasma-physics/collections/advancing-the-scientific-legacy-of-russell-kulsrud
Website Updates
The GPAP website has been updated. GPAP encourages members to share exciting new results for inclusion on the website as part of improved community visibility efforts. Please send your highlights to committee members of GPAP.
Conferences and Summer Schools
- NSF/GPAP Summer School on Plasma Physics for Astrophysicists will be held June 1-5, 2026 at the Institute of Advanced Studies, Princeton (https://www.gpapschool.com/)
- Annual APS Leadership Meeting 2026: GPAP committee attendees: Kris Klein, Damiano Caprioli, and Muni Zhou
- KITP program on Cosmic Rays in Astrophysical Systems: From the Sun to Galaxies and Beyond (https://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/activities/cosmicrays27)
Membership Comments and Community Feedback
GPAP recognizes the need to continue expanding outreach and visibility for GPAP. We welcome ideas for development of new initiatives, maintaining strong student and early career engagement, and enhancing cross-disciplinary collaborations within plasma physics, astrophysics, and space science.