Key Takeaways
- • Ken Griffin has given $5 million to the University of California, Los Angeles to establish the Kenneth C. Griffin Endowed Chair in Fusion Science and support a new master's degree program in fusion science and engineering.
- • Internationally recognized fusion physicist Richard Buttery, formerly director of the DIII-D National Fusion Facility at General Atomics, is the inaugural chairholder and executive director of the new program, effective November 1, 2026.
- • Buttery's dual appointment spans UCLA's Division of Physical Sciences and the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, aiming to link fundamental fusion science with engineering for future energy applications.
- • The gift reflects growing philanthropic and private-sector interest in fusion energy, which the university says is accelerating alongside federal and private investment.
Summary
The University of California, Los Angeles has received a $5 million philanthropic gift from Ken Griffin, the entrepreneur and philanthropist, to establish the Kenneth C. Griffin Endowed Chair in Fusion Science and to support the development of a new master's degree program in fusion science and engineering. Richard Buttery has been appointed the inaugural holder of the endowed chair and will serve as executive director of the new academic program. His appointment became effective November 1, 2026, and is shared between UCLA's Division of Physical Sciences and the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.
Buttery joins UCLA from General Atomics in San Diego, where he directed the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, the largest magnetic fusion research facility in the United States. Before joining General Atomics in 2009, he spent 16 years with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, taking part in major European programs including the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak and the Joint European Torus. His research has centered on the stability and behavior of magnetically confined plasmas, including instabilities that can disrupt fusion performance, and he has contributed to compact fusion pilot plant concepts. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was previously named a Fellow of the UK's Institute of Physics.
The investment is intended to support UCLA's research into fusion energy, including the plasma confinement, materials engineering, and energy conversion challenges involved in developing commercially viable fusion systems. The master's program is designed to build the workforce needed for plasma physics, reactor development, and the design of future fusion energy systems. According to the university, the gift also expands UCLA's existing capabilities in plasma physics and engineering by providing dedicated support for faculty leadership, research development, and graduate education.
Miguel Garcia-Garibay, Dean of Physical Sciences at UCLA, said Buttery brings "a remarkable combination of scientific expertise, research leadership and experience advancing fusion toward practical energy applications." Ah-Hyung "Alissa" Park, Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of UCLA Samueli, noted that recent breakthroughs and growing federal and private investment are accelerating progress in fusion research. Buttery said he hopes to pioneer fusion concepts for "steady state" configurations and to take a collaborative team approach. Griffin said unlocking fusion energy "would be one of humanity's greatest achievements."
Buttery joins UCLA from General Atomics in San Diego, where he directed the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, the largest magnetic fusion research facility in the United States. Before joining General Atomics in 2009, he spent 16 years with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, taking part in major European programs including the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak and the Joint European Torus. His research has centered on the stability and behavior of magnetically confined plasmas, including instabilities that can disrupt fusion performance, and he has contributed to compact fusion pilot plant concepts. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was previously named a Fellow of the UK's Institute of Physics.
The investment is intended to support UCLA's research into fusion energy, including the plasma confinement, materials engineering, and energy conversion challenges involved in developing commercially viable fusion systems. The master's program is designed to build the workforce needed for plasma physics, reactor development, and the design of future fusion energy systems. According to the university, the gift also expands UCLA's existing capabilities in plasma physics and engineering by providing dedicated support for faculty leadership, research development, and graduate education.
Miguel Garcia-Garibay, Dean of Physical Sciences at UCLA, said Buttery brings "a remarkable combination of scientific expertise, research leadership and experience advancing fusion toward practical energy applications." Ah-Hyung "Alissa" Park, Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of UCLA Samueli, noted that recent breakthroughs and growing federal and private investment are accelerating progress in fusion research. Buttery said he hopes to pioneer fusion concepts for "steady state" configurations and to take a collaborative team approach. Griffin said unlocking fusion energy "would be one of humanity's greatest achievements."
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