A University of Wisconsin scientist and professor has moved to Washington D.C. to head up worldwide research at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Raymond Fonck, UW professor of engineering physics, officially began his new appointment as associate director Thursday at the Office of Fusion Energy Science, overseeing research in high-energy density physics, plasma physics and fusion energy.

"I think he's certainly the right man for the job," said Greg Garstka, assistant scientist with Fonck in the UW department of physics. "He's been involved on a national scale for the past decade or so."

Garstka added Fonck would be part of an international project to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion power in France beginning in 2007.

Suellen Velthuis, graphical specialist at the OFES, said Fonck is taking over for Anne Davies, who recently retired from her post at the Department of Energy.

"We're absolutely happy," Velthuis said in a phone interview Thursday. "We're very delighted he's here."

According to Garstka, Fonck will take a leave of absence from UW but retain a 10-percent appointment at the university.

Fonck has previously directed the Pegasus project, where researchers study plasma physics and theoretical ideas about magnetic confinement geometry, according to Michael Bongard, a UW graduate student who works on the project with and is advised by Fonck.

"Of course we're going to miss him, but we're going to be in good communication," Bongard said. "He is still going to maintain as much of an active role as he can — he's going to be quite busy."

Despite his heavy involvement on the national and international level, Garstka said Fonck would still meet with students and faculty every month or two and participate in conference calls.

Bongard said his advisor should fit well into his new role on the worldwide stage.

"He's fiendishly confident," Bongard said. "We'll see how he does at the DOE — it's a little bit different [than] what he's doing now, but he should do just fine."

With the loss of the Pegasus project's lead man in Madison, Garstka said they will look to hire some new members to the team but will be able to forge on.

"They're looking to hire more faculty," Garstka said. "We'll miss him — there's no question — but he's not going away entirely."

Fonck was unavailable for comment while in Washington D.C. Thursday.