Dayne Swearer Receives DARPA Young Faculty Award
September 24, 2026
The program recognizes outstanding early-career researchers and supports innovative scientific research.
Congratulations to Dayne Swearer on receiving a Young Faculty Award (YFA) from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)!
Swearer's project, SPARK: Scattering, Plasma Absorption, and Radiation Knowledge Base, will develop new laser-based tools and computational models to better understand plasma, an ionized gas often called the fourth state of matter.
Plasma plays a critical role in technologies ranging from semiconductor manufacturing to medical sterilization and satellite propulsion. Swearer's research aims to improve how scientists measure and predict the complex chemical reactions that occur within plasma, opening new opportunities for discovery and technological advancement.
The award provides more than $600,000 over two years to support the research.