Dr. Vahala received her BS degree from the University of Illinois in 1969, the MS degree from the University of Iowa in 1971, and the Ph.D from Old Dominion University in 1983. Her publications include articles in both plasma physics and atomic physics with an emphasis on laser interactions with plasma and with neutral/rare gas collisions. She has presented her work at various international workshops and meetings, both in Europe and in the United States. She has been a guest worker at the Molecular Spectroscopy Division at the National Bureau of Standards (Gaithersburg, MD). Dr. Vahala joined Old Dominion University as an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Fall of 1987, and she is currently an Associate Professor.