Frustrated by repeated rejections by US immigration authorities, Dr. Hamid Yousefi has returned to Iran and resigned as LPPFusion’s Chief Research Officer. Last year, Dr. Yousefi’s wife Sarah was rejected for a visa by the US State Department and had to stay in Iran with their son. As a result, Dr. Yousefi applied to change his visa to an O-1 Immigrant visa, which would allow another application for his wife. However, as we reported last month, after granting the visa, the USCIS then gave notice that they would revoke it. Although LPPFusion was in the process of appealing this revocation, Dr. Yousefi and his wife felt there was no real chance of getting the immigration situation resolved in the near future. Given his wife’s health problems, they decided that he should return to Iran and resume his position at the Plasma Physics Research Center.
“Dr. Yousefi’s departure is yet another unfortunate result of misguided immigration policies that make it difficult or impossible for the US to attract and keep the immigrants who, in the past have helped to build this country,” commented LPPFusion’s Lerner. “We wish Dr. Yousefi well in his work at PPRC.”
LPPFusion is in the process of hiring additional researchers to help with our project. In the interim, to assist in our upcoming experiments, we have hired temporarily Mark Klapheke, an electrical engineer with experience working with plasma and vacuum systems and a longtime supporter of Focus Fusion Society.
