"Gateway to Plasma": a plasma-focused professional development training program in Alabama*

Plasma-enabled processes driving modern-day technologies are essential to the U.S. economy, national security, and scientific leadership. Yet, engagement of the U.S. population in plasma-relevant occupations is challenging due to the absence of accessible training opportunities. To address this issue, we propose the establishment of a plasma-focused professional development program, called "Gateway to Plasma", which will provide fast, relevant, and flexible training for the next generation of plasma professionals. This program will be initiated by the NSF EPSCoR project Future Technologies and enabling Plasma Processes (FTPP), which is a collaboration between nine universities (including four HBCUs) and one industry in Alabama. In this talk, we will lay out the plan for establishing the program, including (i) certification process and content, (ii) hybrid format and online platform, (iii) assessment tools, (iv) public engagement, and (v) expected benefits for the state and the broader plasma community. Focus is given on best practices and lessons learned when engaging students, faculty, and staff from HBCUs and MRIs. We include comparisons with other plasma training projects, such as the Minority Serving Institution Faculty Workshop in Plasma Physics conducted at PPPL.