US secondee enjoying time in France

Chang Jun, working at the ITER Organization as a seconded expert from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in the US, is finding his second stint in France quite rewarding. "I received my PhD in France, worked at PPPL for ten years, and now I'm back," Jun explains. He is doing structural analysis on the ITER vacuum vessel and also preparing reports to submit the French government regulator to demonstrate the design integrity. "I regularly prepare something called the 'stress report,' so I joke that I am a good doctor to help with stress relief."

Chang says he particularly enjoys the international nature of the ITER Project. "I believe that we are involved in the first of many such efforts that will involve people from all over the globe to address important energy and environmental problems," he says. "Future generations will learn a lot from how our project operates." As part of his ITER duties, Chang recently was involved in important presentations to the French Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Paris.

He adds that he also appreciates the weather, people, and institutions of France, as do the members of his family. "My son finished high school here with highest honours and now attends St. Andrews University in Scotland [the alma mater of Great Britain's Prince William and his future bride]. My son did say that his situation is rather confusing to some: born a Korean, lived in the US, finished high school in France, and now attending college in Scotland. Such is the life of a family of fusion nomads," Chang concludes.