It is a great honor and pleasure to dedicate this special issue of Journal of Plasma Physics to our dear friend and colleague Professor Tito Mendonça on the occasion of his 65th birthday on December 28, 2010. Professor Tito is one of the most inspiring scientists in plasma physics, with contributions touching many other fields, using cross-cutting methodologies and novel theoretical techniques, which have led to important contributions and insights. Moreover, he has inspired many students at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon and mentored a new generation of physicists in Portugal to pursue scientific careers in a wide spectrum of fields from plasma physics to nonlinear optics, from astrophysics to quantum optics.