Sandia National Laboratories physicist Marcus Knudson is the first joint faculty appointee to serve both Sandia and Washington State University. Using Sandia’s unique Z machine, he will enhance fundamental research into the compression of materials under extreme conditions.
Knudson’s research has helped reconcile conflicting estimates of the age of Saturn, altered scientific estimates of the amount of water on exoplanets and generally furthered understanding of the behavior of materials under extreme conditions.
“Dr. Knudson’s appointment will be a tremendous resource for WSU graduate students and will provide more research opportunities for them,” said Daryll DeWald, dean of the WSU College of Arts and Sciences. “This joint position will help pave the way for new and beneficial partnerships between national laboratories and research universities across the country.”