2008 SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
RICHARD L. ALTSTATT (Hawk)
- NASA Radiation Effects Engineer
Richard L. “Hawk” Altstatt models space environments and performs radiation effects design for NASA. He received an MS in Nuclear Engineering, specializing in Plasma Physics fire) and Material Science (burning stuff) from NCSU in 1996 and an MS in Thermal Mechanics (fire again) and Instrumentation (sticking stuff in fire) from UT Space Institute in 1992. NASA work and publications include the International Leonid Meteor Shower Campaigns, the STS-107 investigation, the Hubble Telescope, the Chandra Space Telescope, the Solar Sail, the International Space Station, and the Crew Exploration Vehicle. Hawk teaches rapier, martial arts, and Eagle Claw Tai Chi, tells a good story, and is one of the world's leading experts on catching stuff on fire.
DR. C. KEVIN BARRETT
- Forensic Anthropologist
Dr. Barrett grew up in Worthington, OH a town just north of Columbus and graduated from Worthington High School in 1989. I attended The Ohio State University from 1990-1993 and graduated with a BA in Anthropology. He went on to attend Graduate School at both Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL and after a years absence, re-enrolled at OSU in 1996. He received his MA in Anthropology from Ohio State in 1998 and continued on to receive his PhD in the Summer of 2005. Since 1999 Dr. Barrett has taught Anthropology at Columbus State, along with short term appointments at Ohio State and Wright State University. He specializes in dental analysis, including dental fluctuating symmetry. In addition to his work with teeth, he has done extensive research on health changes in populations from the Late Archaic and Prehistoric periods in the Ohio River Valley Area. Skills that have been put to practical application by Federal, State and Local law enforcement on a number of forensic cases. Every summer, he organizes a seminar at Columbus State Community College on Forensics entitled, "Making the Dead Speak" which is open to the general public. Dr. Barrett is also a writer of historical fiction and alternate history; selling one of his stories to Paradox magazine in May of 2003. Since then he has won the PARSEC/Confluence Writing Contest twice (2004 and 2005) and in 2006 his short story, "The Qualities of a Monarch" won the Paradox Magazine Alternate History Flash Fiction contest. He is currently researching an Alternate History novel that he hopes to have completed by the end of 2008. In addition to writing, Dr. Barrett enjoys reading most kinds of literature and is a fan of college football. He is partial to almost anything that has to do with history, the space program, or celtic culture. He is a practitioner of the the martial arts, not only for the self-defense applications but also for the mental benefits. He has earned a Black Sash in Shaolin Tiger Kung-Fu and a Green Belt in Shuai Ciao. Dr. Barrett also loves motorcycles and puts almost as many miles on his motorcycle each year as he does his car.
ERIK J. BENNER
- Solar Telescope Guy
Erik's start in Astronomy was kicked off by Halley's Comet last pass. After some time working part time at an observatory as a telescope operator the bug stuck. Now, telescopes outnumber people in the house, one of the first words his toddler knew was telescope and when not working his time is spent at his private observatory. Erik is also one of the founders of the Deerlick Astronomy village, the only one of it's kind in Georgia.
JOHN BRADFORD, PHD
- President; SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc.
Dr. John E. Bradford is President of SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI). Dr. Bradfords's background is in systems integration and power/propulsion system design and performance assessment. He has served as SEI's Project Manager for numerous government sponsored programs with the Air Force Research Labs (AFRL), NASA, and DARPA. Working with various NASA field centers, he has provided both concept analysis and disciplinary expertise in the area of propulsion and aeroheating/TPS analysis. Dr. Bradford led the firm's activities in support of both the DARPA/Air Force FALCON program (under the Northrop-Grumman team) and DARPA RASCAL program (under the Coleman Research team). Prior to joining SEI in 2001, he gained experience with both government and commercial organizations including NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and GenCorp. Aerojet in Sacramento, CA. While at Aerojet, he contributed to the Strutjet RBCC program's engine performance analysis and the DARPA ARRMD (currently known as HyFly) dual-combustor ramjet hypersonic missile program's trajectory simulation. At NASA MSFC, Dr. Bradford performed engineering support for the DRACO RBCC engine demonstrator and Bantam-X projects. Dr. Bradford holds a PhD and a Masters Degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Minor in Computer Programming from North Carolina State University. He is currently a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and a member of both the AIAA High Speed Air Breathing Technical Committee and the Space Propulsion Synergy Team (SPST).
LAURA BURNS
- Rocket Scientist
James Web Space Telescope
Laura A. Burns has been a space enthusiast for most of her life. How often have we all heard, "You have to be a rocket scientist to understand this!"; and so she is. Since 1998, Laura has been on the James Web Space Telescope project, most recently for the Space Telescope Science Institute. During the summer of 2007, she spent 9 weeks in Beijing, China at the International Space University. She is an alumnus of the prestigious NASA Academy student internship program and is actively involved in the NASA Academy Alumni Association. She regularly attends space conferences and enjoys speaking to the public on space related topics. In addition to her interest in space, she is a long time science fiction and fantasy fan, podcast listener, and an avid book collector. Laura enjoys blogging and her voice talents can be heard in several podcasts, most recently in Mur Lafferty's audio drama The Takeover. She is married to Dr. John Cmar, who is a guest on this year's Science track.
Ginger Campbell, M.D.
- Emergency Physician & Podcaster
Ginger Campbell, MD is the creator and host of the Brain Science Podcast, an Internet radio show that brings neuroscience to a worldwide audience. Dr. Campbell graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and she has practiced emergency medicine since 1992. Dr. Campbell began podcasting in 2006 because it allows her share her ability to explain complex ideas in a concise and understandable style. This will be Dr. Campbell's second visit to Dragon*Con™, but she likes to brag that she saw Gene Roddenberry in person at one of the earliest Star Trek™ events held in Huntsville, Alabama back in 1977. The highlight of the event was a screening of the previously unaired pilot for Star Trek™. (It had Spock but no Captain Kirk!) "Growing up in Huntsville made me feel like a part of the first moon landing." To learn more about Dr. Campbell's work go to VirginiaCampbell.com.
A.C. CHARANIA
- Senior Futurist
Mr. A.C. Charania is Senior Futurist at SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI). His areas of expertise include general space system engineering design with a specialization in space commercialization and economic modeling. Other areas of expertise include planetary defense technology and policy issues along with far term technology impact assessment and prioritization. He has specific experience in:- Emerging space business design and strategy formulation
- Flight and ground systems life cycle cost estimating (non-recurring and recurring)
- Future space market assessment using techniques such as agent-based modeling
- Future venture due diligence
- Market forecasting for emerging space markets
- Space industry ROI analysis using probabilistic simulation techniques
- Technology investment cost-to-benefit assessments
DR. JOHN CMAR
- M.D. ; Infectious Disease Specialist
ohn Cmar, MD, has been long enthralled with horrible infections that could spell doom for humankind, as well as sanity and skepticism in the practice of medicine. He is currently an Instructor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and an Infectious Diseases specialist at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. In his role as Associate Program Director for the Johns Hopkins Internal Medicine Residency Program at Sinai, he teaches an annual course series in Evidence-Based Medicine, among many other duties. John is also a science fiction and fantasy fan, avid gamer, and podcast enthusiast. He has made contributions to several podcast projects, and can be currently heard in Mur Lafferty's audio drama The Takeover.
PAMELA L. GAY, PHD
- Astronomer, Writer & Podcaster
Dr. Pam Gay teaches at SIUE and runs the website StarStryder.com. She is a regular contributor to Astronomy Cast and spends lots of time hanging around with the skeptics group. Dr. Pamela L. Gay is perhaps best known for her work on the Astronomy Cast and Slacker Astronomy" podcasts. Combining a solid background in astronomy with a sexy voice, this young astronomer is working to bring the cosmos the the masses, one download at a time. "Astronomy Cast" is a featured podcast in iTunes, and has been in the top 20 podcasts in iTunes Science and Medicene section since its creation in September 2006. Prior to working on Astronomy Cast, Pamela, along with fellow Slackers Aaron Price and Travis Searle, was part of "Slacker Astronomy." This first ever astronomy podcast was the reason for science becoming a genre in podcast directories. Launching in February 2005, Slacker Astronomy ran for over a year. Parodying everything from the opening to ABC's Monday Night Football and the Theme to Green Acres, Slacker Astronomy combined off-beat humor with hard-core science. Off air, its three personalities produced the first peer-reviewed papers on what it takes to make a podcast and who is listening. In addition to her podcasting, Pamela also communicates astronomy to the public through her blog "Star Stryder". Writing about astronomy and academia one sidereal day at a time, Pamela communicates not just the facts, but also the context of what we are learning about our cosmos. Her writing has also appeared in "Astronomy" magazine and "Sky and Telescope" magazine. She is also gives frequent invited public talks around the United States. A public school kid through and through, Pamela received a B.S. in Astrophysics from Michigan State University in 1996 and a Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Texas in 2002. Today she teaches at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her first research love was (and remains) variable stars, but she has committed scientific adultery more than once, and has taken stolen moments to explore the secrets of galaxy evolution. She serves on the council of the American Association of Variable Star Astronomers and is part of the U.S. organizing team for the 2008 Year of Astronomy. Pamela lives in a historic house Southern Illinois with her husband, two dogs, and a lot of books. When she is not online or teaching, you might be able to find her gardening or working on DYI projects around the house.
STEPHEN GRANADE, PHD
- Physicist/Senior Scientist & DragonCon Tech Ops
Dr. Stephen Granade is a senior scientist who specializes in space-based sensors. He worked with NASA on the Advanced Video Guidance Sensor (AVGS), which measures the distance from a spacecraft to a target satellite, so that the spacecraft can dock gently with the satellite. When AVGS was first tested on orbit as part of the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology mission, the sensor guided the spacecraft right to the satellite, where the two promptly collided. Undaunted, NASA and DARPA included AVGS in their Orbital Express mission. Orbital Express was to demonstrate a spacecraft docking with a satellite without a human guiding it. This time, no spacecraft were harmed in the process, and the spacecraft was able to transfer fuel and new computers to the satellite. This was the first such on-orbit transfer of fuel and supplies without a person guiding the spacecraft, and will hopefully let NASA and other space organizations keep satellites flying longer. Currently he's working on a video-based sensor to measure Hubble's location and orientation that will, NASA willing, be tested during a Shuttle Flight in 2008. His PhD research was on trapping and cooling neutral atoms to nearly absolute zero by using really powerful lasers, vacuum systems, and a fair amount of Mountain Dew. During that research he only set fire to himself once, shocked himself twice, and still has two working eyes. Stephen has been a Dragon*Con volunteer for many years, and has been involved with Dragon*Con TV. That bald-headed guy in the red shirt who dies a lot? That's him. He's also responsible for the bumpers that play between video clips before panels and events. He reluctantly admits that that Cthulhu version of Blue's Clues was his fault.
KEVIN GRAZIER, PHD
- JPL Scientist, Sci-Fi TV Consultant & Author
Dr. Kevin R. Grazier is a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, and holds the dual titles of Investigation Scientist and Science Planning Engineer for the Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan. His research involves long-term large-scale computer simulations of solar system dynamics, evolution and chaos with collaborators at UCLA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of Auckland, Purdue University and the Space Science Institute. At JPL, he has written mission planning and analysis software that won both JPL- and NASA-wide awards. Grazier has been featured in several documentaries; he co-hosted the premier episode of Discovery Channel's Science Live! Kid's Edition and even co-anchored CNN's coverage of Cassini's Saturn orbit insertion with Miles O'Brien. Grazier is currently the Science Advisor for the PBS animated series The Zula Patrol, as well as The Sci-Fi Channel series Eureka and Battlestar Galactica. He writes the monthly Battlestar Galactica TECH Blog on www.hollywoodnorthreport.com and has worked with Richard Hatch on both Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming and Great War of Magellan projects. In what passes for his spare time, Dr. Grazier teaches classes in basic astronomy, planetary science, cosmology and the search for extraterrestrial life at both UCLA and Santa Monica College. He is also the author of The Science of Dune which will be published in January 2008 and is currently working on a follow up book titled The Science of Michael Crichton. A little known fact is Dr. Grazier's contribution to keeping the world laughing! Using his name in an Amazon search will not only bring up the above mentioned books as well as his contributions to various planetary science volumes, but this funny quip from The Internet Joke Book!! He is also a planetarium lecturer at Los Angeles' famed Griffith Observatory, and is the interim director of the Drescher Planetarium at Santa Monica College.
HUGH S. GREGORY
- Spaceflight Historian
Professionally an avid Spaceflight Historian based in Vancouver Canada, he has worked as an Engineers' Surveyor, an Industrial Paramedic/E.M.T. (Industrial Ambulance Officer) and managed his own Occupational Health and Safety Program consulting service. He lectures occasionally in local schools on spaceflight history and astronomy. Hugh owns and operates the H.R. McMillan Planetarium's affiliated space and astronomy educational BBS "SpaceBase(tm)" and is the moderator of the 8 internationally distributed "SB-" prefixed space news service echoes for the amateur FidoNet network, reaching out to over 5,000 amateur BBS's world wide weekly. SpaceBase is also the affiliated BBS service for R.A.S.C.'s Vancouver Centre and will distribute the data captured each week by the C.A.R.O. Super Nova Search Project when it comes on-line. His latest research includes the conceptual design theory work on the E.L.D.S.R.R. space reactor (which he gifted to JPL back in July of 2002), Project M.O.S.S. (Musk Observatory Supernova Search) for the Musk Mars Desert Observatory in Hanksville, Utah and the M.A.S.T. Program (Mars Analogue Simulation Trainer), a VR simulator for the Mars Society to help train and prepare crews for their simulations of Mars surface exploration at the Mars Desert Research Station. Since December 2004 he has been the Mars Society's Chief Documents Editor for the operating manuals for the Mars Desert Research Station. He was selected for and led M.D.R.S. Crew 35 (February-March 2005) as Mission Commander and Crew Astronomer (to set up Project MOSS) and recently was elevated to CapCom and joined the team responsible for communications with Mars Society HAB Crews while they are "in-sim" at the society's research stations. He's produced and sold videos on "Voyager 2 at Neptune", "The Gas Planets", "SSTO - The DC-X", "Soviet Space Disasters" and "The Flight Of Buran - The Russian Shuttle Story". His slide/video shows have been appearing at Conventions across North America and also overseas for over 16 years now, including 8 consecutive WorldCons. On weekends he's a private pilot, amateur astronomer (Member RASC), cricket umpire, and enjoys hiking in the Rockies with his wife Anne.
RICHARD JAKIEL
- Astronomer, Author & EPA Research Scientist
Richard Jakiel is a well known writer in the fields of astronomy, geology and geochemistry. He has written over 50 articles in the past 10 years mostly for large main stream magazines such as Astronomy and Sky & Telescope. Richard has also contributed sections to several books and recently co-authored the book Galaxies and How to Observe Them (Springer, 2006). Over the past five years, he has been a keynote speaker for several large astronomical conventions scattered across the US and in Europe. In addition to being a writer, he has been an astronomy/physics professor at the University of West Georgia. Currently, he is a research scientist working at Georgia Tech for the State's Environmental Protection Division (EPD). His latest research projects include the imaging of Mars and Jupiter, archaeoastronomy and a couple new works on galaxies. Check out Richard's latest article, Observing Autumn's Best Nebulae (p. 57 - 61), in the October 2007 issue of Astronomy.
C. LES JOHNSON
- Manager, Space Science Programs and Projects Office
Les manages the Science Programs and Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. He is responsible for overall management and direction of all science programs and projects at the Marshall Center that are funded by NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. This includes a wide range of propulsion technology development for science missions – from advanced combinations of chemical fuels and propellants to systems that use the sun for propulsion or those that leverage a planet's atmosphere for braking – and space science systems, such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the sun-observing Hinode mission. Previously, Mr. Johnson was manager of the In-Space Propulsion Technology Office at Marshall. He was responsible for overall management and direction of the In-Space office and team, overseeing NASA's propulsion technology development efforts intended to one day carry NASA scientific missions to any point in the solar system. He was also the Principal Investigator for the Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS) mission. ProSEDS involved the use of a new type of space propulsion system, called an electrodynamic tether, which can move spacecraft in Earth orbit without the use of fuel. Prior to joining NASA, Mr. Johnson was a research physicist from 1986 to 1990 with General Research Corporation in Huntsville, working on directed-energy technologies for the Strategic Defense Initiative with the U.S. Department of Defense. Among his achievements and awards, Mr. Johnson has twice received NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal, which recognizes significant, specific contributions to NASA's missions. The author of more than 30 propulsion-related articles, Mr. Johnson also has provided technical expertise to a number of popular science fiction authors. He is credited in the forward of several books, including James Hogan's Cradle of Saturn, and Kicking the Sacred Cow, Jack McDevitt's Deepsix, and M. M. Buckner's War Surf. He also was credited as a technical consultant on the 1998 science fiction adventure movie Lost in Space . Les is now an author himself. He and co-authors Gregory Matloff and C. Bangs recently published a popular science book for Copernicus titled, Living off the Land in Space. Their second book, The Solar Sail Handbook, will be published in 2008. Analog last year published their science-fact article, The Interstellar Conspiracy. Mr. Johnson holds three patents: in 1989 for a laser-triggered, fiber-optic neutron detector; in July 2003 for an electrodynamic sail for space solar propulsion; and in 2007 for an electrodynamic tether for spacecraft propulsion. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and physics in 1984 from Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky. He received a master's degree in physics in 1986 from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. Mr. Johnson is a native of Ashland, Ky. Les and his wife, Carol, and their two children, Carl and Leslie, reside in Madison, Ala.
WILLIAM C. KEEL, PHD
- Astronomer & University Professor
In the more socially respectable part of my job, I teach at the University of Alabama; mostly introductory astronomy courses with occasional forays into extragalactic astronomy and observational techniques at the graduate level. Unlike many professional astronomers, I got my start in the back yard many years ago and retain a soft spot for eyeballing the Universe. A recent major project has been writing The Road to Galaxy Formation, published in August 2002 by Springer-Praxis. A more popular effort (I hope), The Sky at Einstein's Feet, which was published in October 2005. This volume traces the many ways in which relativity has informed the last century of astronomical discovery. More information at http://www.astr.ua.edu/keel/.
GINNY MAULDIN-KINNEY
- Solar System Ambassador (NASA – JPL)
Ginny Mauldin-Kinney is best known for her appointment as a Solar System Ambassador through NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory based in Pasadena, California. This program appoints qualified volunteers to educate people in their local communities about past, current, and future JPL-sponsored missions. Currently, there are 494 volunteers serving in the Solar System Ambassador Program throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Mauldin-Kinney has been featured in the Science in Your Life radio series hosted by science correspondent Ted Vigodsky on Atlanta's NPR affiliate, WABE FM 90.1, as well as in a radio interview entitled "Georgians Consider NASA's Next Move" by WABE reporter Bruce Kennedy, that highlighted several individuals' opinions of what NASA's focus should be in the aftermath of the loss of space shuttle Columbia and her crew in February, 2003. In October 2003, she was featured in the Apogee Books Space Series title Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier by science writer Laura S. Woodmansee. Be looking for her viewpoints in Woodmansee's new Apogee title, Sex in Space. In May 2004, Mauldin-Kinney was invited to participate in JPL's Annual Open House in Pasadena, California, working alongside many prominent mission scientists to educate the public about the Spitzer Space Telescope and on viewing the universe in infrared light. She is making progress on her children's book on space exploration, based on the Mars Exploration Rovers mission and inspired by the work of Steve Squyres, principal investigator of the MER project. She's aiming to have it released in time for Dragon*Con 2008. Inspired by her uncle's work with NASA in the early days through the Marshall Space Flight Center, Mauldin-Kinney's involvement with astronomy and space exploration began in 1995 when she took a continuing education astronomy course at Emory University with Georgia Tech Research Institute astronomer, Dr. Jim Sowell. Afterward, she began volunteering her time as an observatory assistant at Fernbank Science Center under the mentorship of astronomer Dr. Richard Williamon. Additionally, she served as an officer with the Atlanta Astronomy Club from 1996-1998. A former astronomy laboratory instructor at Georgia State University, she completed her interdisciplinary studies program focusing on Planetary Science and Communications in May, 2002—a curriculum she devised herself. Professionally, Mauldin-Kinney is an English Language Instructor and the Development Assistant to the Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta, a non-profit social services agency. She also freelances as a web designer. She's a proud mom of two wonderful children, Heather and Phillip. In her spare time, she makes it her primary mission to educate the public–especially youth–about the merits of space and space exploration. Her favorite outreach events include working with students of all ages who never grow tired of learning. To learn more about the Solar System Ambassador Program, please visit: www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador. Visit Ginny on the web at www.celestialgirl.com.
JAMES P. KINNEY
- Brew Master and Beer Snob
James Kinney holds a Master's degree in physics from Georgia State University. About that time, he began serious beer brewing. The brewing continued through his time teaching physics at Emory University and teaching astronomy and physics at Georgia Perimeter College. Currently, James is working for Google and is actively working on a brewing process with the executive chef for a rotating Google beer style (for local consumption only—sorry). Jim is an avid collector of impressive experimental physics imagery. Especially if it's dangerous. (Sandia National Labs Z Machine). James also serves as a judge for science fairs and Science Olympiad to satisfy his passion for science education. As the spouse of another avid space science enthusiast (Ginny Mauldin-Kinney, NASA-JPL Solar System Ambassador and popular Dragon*Con speaker), James is a constant participant of lively discussions of how humans should migrate to space and what it'll take to get there.
PATRICK MASON
– Likes to Play With Nuclear Power
Patrick Mason currently lives in College Station, TX, attending Texas A&M University in pursuit of a degree in Nuclear Engineering, as well as a Degree in Aerospace Engineering. By the beginning of DragonCon 2008, he will have finished his degrees and will be a fully employed Nuclear Engineer. Patrick works for the ITP (Interphase flow TransPort) group in the Nuclear Engineering department, on projects related to fluid flow data collection in zero gravity environments. In 2005 he worked eight months for the Entergy Corporation in the PWR (Pressure Water Reactor) group, of the nuclear support section, of the company. Much of his work during this time related to the upkeep and maintenance of the PWRs owned, and operated, in the southern U.S., by Entergy. Patrick spends most of his free time split between his friends, girlfriend, watching T.V., making AMVs, and directing AggieCon, which was in March of 2007.
JEFF MEDKEFF
- Finds and Names Asteroids
Jeff Medkeff was a contributing editor at Sky and Telescope magazine, a noted asteroid researcher, and author of widely-used telescope automation software. He was also a strong voice in the fight for quality science education in our schools.Jeff passed away August 3, 2008. To his wife, family and friends –
our deepest sympathies.
DR. JAN OSBURG
– Aerospace & Communications Technology Brain
Dr. Jan Osburg works for a national think tank, focusing on projects related to security policy, aerospace and communications technology, and emergency preparedness. His previous job as a research engineer with the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia, saw him working on rocket-science topics like aerospace systems optimization and collaborative interdisciplinary design. Dr. Osburg has been on several crews of the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah and theFlashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island, where he helped simulate Mars on Earth as crew commander, executive officer, health and safety officer, human factors researcher, navigator, communications officer, station engineer, and jack-of-all-trades. Dr. Osburg started his career at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, where he taught systems design, space flight life support, and human factors, and directed international student workshops on space station design. He has a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Stuttgart and a Masters degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
PHIL PLAIT
- Astronomer & Skeptic
Phil Plait has a not so secret identity. He also goes by the moniker The Bad Astronomer. Why would anyone want to be known as "The Bad Astronomer"? Well, it makes for a fabulous website name, of course. But it's also apropos. Kinda. Phil Plait uses humor and critical thinking to rid the world and (perhaps impossibly) the human brain of astronomical myths and misconceptions. He is the sole proprietor of the www.badastronomy.com, which started off in the 1990s with a couple of astronomical rants and has now taken over his life like a flesh-eating bacterium. On that site he airs out junk science, dealing with how astronomy is folded, spindled, and mutilated in a variety of media. Some topics include the idea that NASA faked the Apollo Moon missions (they were real), astrology (not real), the "Face" on Mars (sorry, but it's just a big butte), and creationist astronomy (creationists are real, but their claims are not). The homepage of that site is the Bad Astronomy Blog, where he talks about current events, random silliness, and sometimes hogs the soapbox to rant about the latest outrage against science perpetrated by evildoers. Dr. Plait's first book was (what else?) Bad Astronomy, and his second book, Death from the Skies! -- about all the way astronomical events can wipe out life on Earth, and sometimes even the Earth itself -- will be out in October. Maybe earlier. He might even have copies at D*C. He's written for lots of newspapers and magazines, prefers new media (blogging and video blogging), but will do a TV or radio show if there's simply no other choice. He spent his youth attending SF cons in Washington (he remembers the Disclave and Balticon fondly, especially the elevator parties) and his interest in fandom has recently resurged. Deep in his heart he is still just a major fanboy geek, and can't wait to meet Adam Baldwin and James Hong. and by that name all those who purport to believe that: we never landed on the moon, or astrology is just as valid as astronomy, or intelligent design is a science, start to get the shakes and hurriedly decline invitations to events that he will be in attendance.
TRINA RAY
- Science System Engineer for the Project Scientist on Cassini
& the co-chair of the Titan Orbiter Science Team
Trina started her career at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory with a bang. Her first and still favorite experience was working on the Voyager Neptune Encounter in August of 1989. Her current position is Science System Engineer for the Project Scientist on Cassini and the co-chair of the Titan Orbiter Science Team (TOST) where she coordinates the targeted Titan science opportunities which is currently very exciting.
Trina received her Bachelor's degree in Physics from California State University, Northridge, and her master's degree in Astronomy from San Diego State University, where her research specialty was Planetary Nebulae.
Trina is an active public speaker for NASA, JPL, and Cassini and a founding member of the Cassini Virtual Singers: a group of project staff that rewrites lyrics to popular melodies and performs at various Project and Laboratory functions.
Trina is a Figure Skating fanatic, traveling to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships every year. She loves to dance (especially West Coast Swing), has befriended a stray cat, and is a long time volunteer for Recording for the Blind and Dyslectic, and has recently become obsessed with the skeptics movement.
JASON SCHNEIDERMAN, PHD
- Neuro–Scientist
Dr. Jason Schneiderman is a neuroscientist whom over the last decade has worked for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, NASA's Space and Life Sciences Directorate, and the National Institutes of Health on a variety of research and educational projects including those on space medicine, the biological effects of long-duration space flight, mental illness, and brain imaging. He had a BS in Psychology from Stony Brook University, a PhD in Neuroscience from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and is currently a researcher at Harvard Medical School. His research has appeared in scientific journals including The Journal of Vestibular Research, Psychological Medicine, Biological Psychiatry, Neuropsychobiology and Schizophrenia Research. Find out more about Dr. Schneiderman from this profile.
