Dr. Wilks, a physicist with a PhD in plasma physics, has been a research scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory since 1989. His expertise lies in computer simulations used to design and analyze high intensity laser matter experiments. His work on Particle-In-Cell simulations led to theoretical predictions about ultra-intense laser solid density plasma interactions, which were later verified in experiments. His recent work includes Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA), a physical picture of ion acceleration. In 2002, he was awarded the Defense Programs Award of Excellence. He is currently researching methods for creating high density, high temperature plasmas for laboratory astrophysics experiments.