Dr. Leslie Wilk graduated from Brock University in 1970 with a first-class Honours degree in Physics and was awarded the Vice Chancellor's medal. He then started his M.Sc. studies in Physics at Brock. Both his undergraduate and graduate thesis work was carried out under the supervision of Professor Ramesh Shukla. He finished his M.Sc. in Physics in 1972, and subsequently joined the Ph.D. program in Physics at the University of Toronto. During this period he made significant contributions to the spin-density functional theory under the supervision of Professor S.H. Vosko. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1978 and spent a few years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto

In 1982 he joined Ontario Hydro's Fuel and Physics Department, an applied physics support group for all of Ontario's nuclear reactors. His main responsibility is the creation, enhancement, and validation of computer mathematical models of reactor core physics. The models deal with primary nuclear fission processes, heat transfer, refueling operations, radioisotope productions, and various other problems. These computer models are used for safety studies, long-term prediction of refueling needs, etc. They provide important information for nuclear station engineers for the purpose of optimizing reactor performance within the licensing constraints imposed by the Atomic Energy Control Board.

Besides enjoying his work as a physicist at Ontario Hydro, Dr. Wilk is an avid scuba diver, a sportsman, and has a passion for gardening and farming. He is married with two children. He keeps in touch with the Brock University Physics Department, his supervisor, Professor Shukla, and has fond memories of his days at Brock.