Wataru is a postdoctoral researcher working on stellarator optimization. He recently completed his PhD at the University of California Irvine where he studied fast ions in experiments in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Through his thesis research he contributed to the FIDASIM synthetic diagnostic code and further expanded th understanding of fast ion confinement in the inward-shifted LHD configuration. He als studied fast ion interactions with Alfven eigenmodes and energetic particle modes. In his current position, Wataru works on single-stage optimization of quasi-symmetric stellarator configurations.
In addition to his work as a researcher, Wataru was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Fusion Student Delegation. With the delegation, he spent a week in Washington, DC discussing the future of fusion energy policy with congressional offices from his home state of Hawaii, as well as with Nevada and California.