Zachary Hartwig

Zachary Hartwig is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT with a co-appointment at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC). He co-founded Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to commercialize fusion energy technology.

Education:

• PhD in Nuclear Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013
• B.A. in Physics, Boston University, 2005

Hartwig's research centers on high-field superconducting magnet development for fusion applications, accelerated radiation damage testing using proton beams, and fusion device engineering. He leads construction of the Schmidt Laboratory for Materials in Nuclear Technologies (LMNT) to simulate fusion environments for materials testing. His work integrates plasma-material interactions, radiation detection systems, and Monte Carlo simulation techniques to address critical fusion energy challenges.

Awards:

• Fusion Power Associates Award for Excellence in Fusion Engineering (2022)
• MIT Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching (2019)

Hartwig teaches graduate courses including 22.061 Fusion Energy and 22.62 Fusion Energy. He secured major funding for LMNT through a philanthropic consortium led by Eric and Wendy Schmidt. As a CFS co-founder, he bridges academic research and commercial fusion development, directing laboratory work on superconducting conductors and radiation effects at the PSFC.