Quick Shot

As most of you are aware, Dr. John Soures retired from his full time position as Senior Scientist, NLUF Manager and Coordinator of External Users of the Omega Facility as of 30 April 2018. The Laboratory conducted a national search for replacement candidates and after a several month long effort, extended an offer to Dr. Mingsheng Wei, currently employed at General Atomics in San Diego, California.

I am pleased to announce that Mingsheng Wei has accepted our offer to become LLE’s National Laser Users’ Facility Program Manager.

In the interim period until Dr. Wei joins our staff mid-August 2018, Dr. Soures will continue as Acting Manager of the NLUF Program and as Acting Coordinator of the Omega Facility on a time-as-reported basis.

Mingsheng brings with her many years of experience as a user of the Omega Laser Facility. She additionally brings experience in a leadership position in the Omega Laser Facility Users Group Executive Committee. These experiences give her a complete picture of the Omega User experience. She will serve the NLUF community well in her new role.

Dr. Wei has mentored graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior scientists over the last 13 years of her career. Her research in the fields of nonlinear laser–plasma interaction and high-energy-density physics is an invaluable asset toward the success of the NLUF and Laboratory Basic Science (LBS) programs at LLE. She brings a wealth of knowledge with her from experiments she has conducted at many U.S. facilities as well as those in other areas of the world.

Mingsheng received her Ph.D. degree in Laser Plasma Physics from Imperial College, London, in 2005. From 2005 to 2010 she was Project Scientist at the Center for Energy Research, UC San Diego. In 2010 Dr. Wei joined the Inertial Fusion Technology Division of General Atomics, San Diego, where she currently serves as Senior Scientist and Principal Investigator, leading research in the area of high-energy-density physics and inertial confinement fusion. She also interfaces with national labs and academics on GA’s target fabrication. She has approximately 100 journal publications including Nature Physics and Physical Review Letters among others. Her work has received more than 3800 citations with an H-index of 32.

Please welcome Mingsheng in her new position at LLE. We, as a community, are fortunate to have her appointed to this important position.