Dr. Robert A. Ellis, Jr. was born in 1927. He received his bachelorâ™s degree in 1948 from Fisk University - a highly ranked historically black university, and received his masterâ™s degree in physics from Yale University in 1949. After receiving his masterâ™s degree, Dr. Ellis taught at Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial (A&I), later known as Tennessee State University â“ a historically black land-grant public university. He then went to earn his doctorate at the University of Iowa. In 1956, Dr. Ellis joined Project Matterhorn - a small group headed by Lyman Spitzer Jr. at Princeton University working on controlled fusion. Project Matterhorn would later become the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). Dr. Ellis became a key member of the team studying the magnetic confinement and heating of plasma in stellarators and in 1988 he was appointed head of experimental projects at PPPL.

During his later years, he devoted much of his time to furthering international collaboration in science. He served as foreign secretary of the Advisory Committee on the USSR and Eastern Europe of the National Academy of Science, a member of the Science Advisory Committee for the NASA Research Laboratories, and head of the physics section of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. In 1984, he became the U.S. representative to the Commission on Plasma Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.

Dr. Ellis was a pioneer in modern experimental plasma physics until his death on December 15, 1989. To his colleagues he is best known for his ability to come up with relevant information on almost any topic, and above all, his flashing wit. He also had a deep and gentle understanding of people-their hopes and ambitions, their motivations and frustrations.

From NSBP honors (February 2020) and Physics Today (March 1991)

A proud U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory managed by Princeton University, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a longstanding leader in the science and innovation behind the development of fusion energy â” a clean, safe, and virtually limitless energy source. With an eye on the future and in response to national priorities, PPPL also has begun a strategic shift from a singular focus on fusion energy to a multi-focus approach that includes microelectronics, quantum information science, and sustainability science. Whether it be through science, engineering, technology or professional services, every team member has an opportunity to make their mark on our world. PPPL aims to attract and support people with a rich variety of backgrounds, interests, experiences, and cultural viewpoints. We are committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility and believe that each member of our team contributes to our scientific mission in their own unique way. Come join us!

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) sponsors the

About Princeton University

Princeton University is a vibrant community of scholarship and learning that stands in the nation's service and in the service of all nations. Chartered in 1746, Princeton is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Princeton is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational institution that provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering.As a world-renowned research university, Princeton seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching.Today, more than 1,100 faculty members instruct approximately 5,200 undergraduate students and 2,600 graduate students. The University's generous financial aid program ensures that talented students from all economic backgrounds can afford a Princeton education.

Connections working at Princeton University