BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.5//EN TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0-1862@hmc.edu DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261112T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261112T120000 DTSTAMP:20261023T183117Z URL:/calendar/events/dr-bruce-j-nelson-distinguished-sp eaker-series-brandon-sorbom/ SUMMARY:Dr. Bruce J. Nelson Distinguished Speaker Series: Brandon Sorbom DESCRIPTION:ÎŢÓÇĘÓƵ welcomes Brandon Sorbom\, chief science off icer and co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems. He has been recognized by MIT Technology Review (35 Innovators under 35) and TIME magazine (Worl d’s Most Influential Rising Stars).\n\nAt a time when the world is looki ng for bold solutions to combat climate change\, Sorbom is leading a revol ution in clean energy. From creating a tabletop fusion device as an underg raduate to leading the ARC Reactor design study as a grad student\, Sorbom has exemplified the transformative power of curiosity\, rigorous science and a deep commitment to global stewardship.\n\nJoin us for an inspiring p rogram that explores the frontier of fusion energy\, the ethical responsib ilities of technological innovation and Sorbom's entrepreneurial journey.\ n\nThe lecture commences at 11 a.m. and is preceded by a community coffee break from 10 a.m.\n“Our Fusion Future: Bringing the Power of the Stars to Earth”\nFusion is the process that powers the Sun and all the stars. Humans have  known how fusion works for over 100 years but\, unlike the s tars\, which use their massive gravitational pull to keep their fusion pla sma hot\, we have to use other ways to confine fusion plasmas on Earth. So rbom will present a brief overview of the different ways people have tried to harness fusion on Earth as an energy source and share the progress of the company he co-founded\, Commonwealth Fusion Systems\, to take this tec hnology from the lab to the world. Sorbom will also share his own personal journey from academia to industry and explain why each of us is an entrep reneur\, whether we know it or not.\nSpeaker\nBrandon Sorbom co-founded Co mmonwealth Fusion Systems with the goal of commercializing fusion energy i n time to combat climate change. As chief science officer\, he leads the s cientific direction and R&\;D efforts of the company. In addition\, he leads the company’s efforts to advance the design of Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ commercial fusion power plant\, ARC. Sorbom is mission-driven to fight climate change and believes that commercial fusion power can be a critical solution. He studied fusion at the Massachusetts Institute of Te chnology (MIT) because of its massive potential as a limitless clean energ y source. While working on his PhD there\, Sorbom was lead author of the p aper that proposed the original design for ARC that inspired the founding of Commonwealth Fusion Systems in 2018.\nA regular scientific presenter an d academic speaker\, Sorbom earned a bachelor of science degree in electri cal engineering and engineering physics from Loyola Marymount University a nd a PhD in nuclear science and engineering from MIT. He was also named a “35 Under 35” Honoree by MIT Technology Review. ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:/calendar/wp-content/uploads/ sites/39/2026/10/Nelson-2026-Sorbom.jpeg CATEGORIES:General Feed,TCCS Feed: Lecture LOCATION:Shanahan Center\, 320 E. Foothill Blvd.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=320 E. Foothill Blvd.\, Cla remont\, CA\, 91711\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Shanahan Ce nter:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20261101T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR