Laura Berzak Hopkins

Associate Laboratory Director for Strategy and Partnerships, Deputy Chief Research Officer at PPPL

Laura Berzak Hopkins is the associate laboratory director for strategy and deputy chief research officer at PPPL. She joined PPPL from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), where she was a plasma physicist and associate program director. She also served as Livermore’s deputy for assessment science to the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), contributing to national research priorities and diplomacy. Her technical work includes leading over 100 experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), with research focused on inertial confinement fusion. She has received two U.S. Secretary of Energy Honor Awards and four NNSA Defense Program Awards of Excellence.

She is passionate about the intersection of science, policy, and public understanding. As an APS Congressional Fellow (2010–2012), she advised lawmakers and supported clean energy legislation. Committed to science outreach, she developed the “Why-Sci” communication platform and regularly speaks at public and technical events. She also serves as an editor for the APS Forum on Physics and Society and leads tours at the NIF to broaden public engagement. Berzak Hopkins holds a Ph.D. in Plasma Physics from Princeton University and a double major in physics and chemistry from Dartmouth College.