Professor Drake teaches and pursues research in laboratory,
space, and astrophysical plasmas at the University of
Michigan. His current research emphasizes the application
of experimental facilities that produce high energy densities
to the simulation of astrophysical and space phenomena.
His Ph.D from Johns Hopkins in 1979 was based on work
in plasma spectroscopy. He worked at the Lawrence
Livermore Laboratory in magnetic fusion and laser fusion
until 1989, during which time he led the activation of target
experiments on the Nova laser facility. He was an
Associate Professor at the University of California Davis
from 1989-1991, and a Full Professor from 1991-1993,
while also serving as Director of the Plasma Physics
Research Institute at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, which continued until his move to Michigan in
1996, where he for four years directed the 13 M$/yr Space
Physics Research Laboratory. He has authored more than
140 scientific papers and is a Fellow of the American
Physical Society.