When asked to speak about the intersection of technology and foreign policy, a traditional technologist might speak to such issues as missile defense and arms control; how the internet affects US trade and global democracy; the spread of infectious diseases; and technologies for dealing with bioterrorism. Dr. Gerold Yonas, not a traditional technologist, is more likely to show how advancing technology should bring us back to “it's the people, stupid”, or how demographic shifts and declining resources are likely to stress our security and foreign policies.

Gerry Yonas is currently Principal Scientist and Vice President at Sandia National Laboratories, where he directs the Advanced Concepts Group. Previously, he focused on new initiatives in global surveillance, battlefield sensors, and non-nuclear high precision weapons. After earning degrees in Engineering Physics from Cornell and Cal Tech, he worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and directed the particle beam fusion program at Sandia. He served as the first Chief Scientist for the Strategic Defense Initiative from 1984-86, and is the recipient of numerous international awards for his work in field of pulsed power technology.