Patrick G. O'Shea

Patrick G. O'Shea is a Professor and Vice President for Research at the University of Maryland, holding joint appointments in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics, and the Institute for Research in Electronics & Applied Physics (IREAP). He previously served as Chair of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the A. James Clark School of Engineering and Director of IREAP. His research focuses on charged particle beam dynamics, free-electron lasers (FELs), and high-power radiation sources. He leads the Bright Beams Collective Research Group, advancing compact THz FELs and terawatt X-ray sources. O'Shea has held leadership roles including President of University College Cork (Ireland) and Vice President for Research at UMD. His honors include Fellowships from AAAS, APS, IEEE, and the Royal Society of Arts. Recent work emphasizes ultra-high-power XFEL harmonics, beam emittance control, and applications in cancer therapy and quantum technologies.

Education: BSc in Physics (National University of Ireland, Cork), M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics (University of Maryland). Key contributions include record-breaking H⁻ beam brightness on the BEAR rocket test stand, discovery of solitary waves in electron beams, and theoretical work on emittance compensation. He chairs UMD's Research Conflict of Interest Committee and has advised students like Liam Pocher (recipient of the NAPAC22 best student paper award). O'Shea collaborates on projects such as the DarkLight experiment at Jefferson Lab and scalable accelerator technologies for future particle physics facilities.

Research highlights include developing laser-controlled ion accelerators, achieving 30 MV/m proton gradients, and pioneering THz FEL design. His group explores medical isotope production via electron beams and ultra-fast radiotherapy. Ongoing projects aim to revolutionize XFEL efficiency through novel beam sources and tapered undulators. Awards include the UMD Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award and multiple professional society recognitions.