Plenary Speakers

Plenary 1

Biography
Dr. Rick Spielman received his Ph.D. in Plasma Physics from the University of California, Davis, in 1978, where he was a Chancellor’s Fellow and a Regent’s Fellow. Moving to Sandia National Laboratories in 1979, he was first a Member of the Technical Staff, then a Principal Member of the Technical Staff, and finally a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff. He was the Chief Scientist and Project Manager at Sandia for the successful Z Machine – the most powerful pulsed-power driver in the world. In 1999, he was promoted to be the Manager of the Pulsed Power Research Department in the Pulsed Power Center at Sandia. From 2001-2005, he worked in start-up companies. From 2005-2012 he was the Vice President of Pulsed Power of Ktech Corporation. In 2013, he joined Idaho State University where he was a Professor of Physics and Director of the Idaho Accelerator Center. He then joined the University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics as a Senior Scientist and a Research Professor of Physics in 2019. Dr. Spielman is part of the Sandia design team for the Next Generation Pulsed Power (NGPP) facility. He is heading the LLE program for short-pulse laser lethality for external customers. He consults for several private companies on pulsed-power technology development.

Plenary 2

Biography
Bryan V. Oliver was born and raised in Berkeley, California USA. He received the B.S. degree in physics from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) in 1988 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degree in theoretical plasma physics from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, in 1991 and 1994, respectively. Dr. Oliver is the Director of the Radiation and Electrical Sciences Center at Sandia National Laboratories. His primary areas of expertise are in theory and simulation of intense electron and ion beams, fusion plasmas, Z-pinches, X-ray radiography, radiation effects and intense electromagnetic pulse (EMP). He leads the Sandia effort to study the effects of electro-magnetic and radiation environments on materials and electronics. His Center is also responsible for supporting the qualification of devices, circuits and components in intense space and terrestrial radiation environments. His team manages multiple pulsed power accelerators and pulsed nuclear facilities as well as high power EM facilities that create the radiation environments that are relevant for such studies and evaluations. Further, he has responsibility for the development of large scale, high performance, radiation transport and plasma simulation codes as well radiation informed circuit codes. Dr. Oliver serves on various professional committees in Pulsed-Power Science and Technology and Nuclear and Plasma Sciences, he is the recipient of multiple NNSA Defense Programs Awards of Excellence, the Department of Energy Secretary’s Achievement Award and is a Fellow of the Institutes for Electronics and Electrical Engineers.

Plenary 3

Biography
Dr. Meezan received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, completing a dissertation on electron transport physics in plasma propulsion devices under the supervision of Professor Mark Cappelli. After completing his Ph.D. in 2002, Dr. Meezan joined Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a target designer in the Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) program, focusing on the physics of hohlraums and other laser-produced plasmas. He has led or co-lead numerous experimental campaigns on the National Ignition Facility. In 2009, Dr. Meezan was the lead target designer for the first laser indirect drive experiments on the NIF. These experiments demonstrated laser scattering on self-generated plasma gratings in ignition-scale hohlraums, for which the team received the 2012 John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics. Dr. Meezan co-led the ablator physics campaign 2011-2013, the diamond ablator implosion campaign 2013-2016, and the advanced hohlraums and hohlraum science campaign 2017-2019. In 2020, Dr. Meezan shifted his focus to designing x-ray and neutron sources for the Z facility at Sandia National Laboratory. He currently leads LLNL’s efforts in Magnetic Drive ICF, working towards the goal of achieving fusion ignition on a future pulsed power driver for the stockpile stewardship program.