High energy density physics group (HEDP) scientist and physics department lecturer, Kramer Akli, is the recipient of a 2012 Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator award.

These awards are given to young (recipients of PhDs in the last five years) American scientists and engineers at research institutions across the country who have shown exceptional ability and promise for achievement in their research field.

Akli was selected for his exceptional professional record as evidenced in publications, presentations, and academic service.

His original thesis work was conducted at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as a graduate student at the University of California, Davis. Akli was supported on a Student Employee Graduate Fellowship awarded by the laboratory.

Upon graduation, Akli was a post-doc at LLNL, then a research scientist in the Inertial Fusion Technology group at General Atomics Corporation in San Diego. He joined the Ohio State’s physics department in 2010.

The AFOSR Young Investigator Program provides support for basic research in the recipients' chosen field of research over a five-year period. Akli will use his AFOSR award for graduate student and post-doc support in his research on the generation of intense x-rays from peta-watt class laser systems.