Congratulations to Jonathan Coburn, one of only five early career scientists or engineers chosen as a Monaco/ITER Postdoctoral Fellow. Applicants can be from any of the countries that comprise the membership of the ITER Project – People’s Republic of China, European Atomic Energy Community, Republic of India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the United States of America – or from the Principality of Monaco. Fellows are selected every two years for two-year assignments and work alongside ITER specialists contributing to the project through original research.

Coburn grew up in Washington, NC, and began his career at NC State in fall 2009 after graduating from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. He was drawn to nuclear engineering as a major because, as he explains, “it offered a way for me to contribute greatly to the major needs of society.”

Coburn earned both his Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering (Spring 2013) and Master of Nuclear Engineering (Fall 2013) at NC State. He took advantage of various research opportunities including undergraduate research in nuclear physics and internships with GE Hitachi in Wilmington, NC, and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. By far the most influential of these experiences was the opportunity to intern with US ITER through Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“My innate desire to contribute to ITER did not come about overnight. It gradually manifested through years of coursework, internships, and meaningful conversations with professionals in the field. As my Ph.D. concludes and my career unfolds, I look forward to playing my part in making fusion power a viable energy solution. Participating in the ITER Postdoctoral Fellowship, working on-site with experts on the world’s largest fusion project, will be an unprecedented way to begin that career.”

Coburn will complete his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering this summer prior to leaving for his appointment at the facility in Cadarache, France.