Joshua Burby

Joshua Burby is an Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in mathematical plasma physics. His research focuses on stellarator magnetic fusion, leveraging symplectic geometry, dynamical systems theory, and asymptotic analysis to address foundational questions in plasma confinement and computational modeling.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science in Physics from Cornell University
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physics from Princeton University

Research Interests: Burby explores advanced mathematical frameworks for plasma confinement systems, particularly stellarators. His work integrates geometric mechanics, numerical analysis, and machine learning to develop novel methods for simulating plasma behavior and optimizing magnetic field configurations. Key topics include quasisymmetry in magnetic fields, invariant manifold computations, and structure-preserving numerical algorithms.

Scientific Awards and Fellowships:

• US Department of Energy (DOE) Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) Viterbi Fellowship
• Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Feynman Fellowship

Professional Background: Before joining UT Austin, Burby served as a staff scientist in the Applied Mathematics and Plasma Physics group (T-5) at LANL, where he contributed to cutting-edge plasma physics research and computational methods development. His work bridges fundamental theory with practical engineering challenges in fusion energy systems.