Author: Jeffrey Clark

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Dave Blass

Dave Blass is a highly accomplished production designer and art director renowned for his exceptional creative vision and expertise in bringing fictional worlds to life on both the big and small screens. Dave was Star Trek: Picard‘s production designer for season 2 and for season 3’s spectacular reunion of the Enterprise-D command crew (not to mention the return of the Enterprise-D herself)!

Dave has left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry through his meticulous attention to detail and ability to seamlessly blend aesthetics with storytelling. He has been nominated for the Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series Emmy for Justified, and also for the Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More) Emmy for Justified and later for Constantine. He was also nominated for the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design for a One Hour Contemporary Television Series for Justified.

Blass’s versatility is evident in his diverse portfolio, which includes iconic productions such as Justified, The Boys, Preacher and Constantine. His work on the show demonstrated his prowess in creating dynamic and immersive environments, as seen most recently in Star Trek: Picard!

Trekonderoga is absolutely thrilled to host Dave and his presentation on designing Star Trek: Picard‘s look and feel! Don’t miss out on your chance to meet the man in person at this year’s event!

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George Takei

George Takei Profile Photograph

George Takei is best known for his portrayal of Mr. Sulu in the acclaimed television and film series Star Trek. He’s an actor, social justice activist, social media mega-power, New York Times bestselling author, originated the role of Sam Kimura and Ojii-Chan in the Broadway musical Allegiance, and subject of To Be Takei, a documentary on his life and career.

Takei’s acting career has spanned five decades, with more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television guest-starring roles to his credit. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Actors’ Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

With the outbreak of World War II, Los Angeles, California-born Takei and his family were placed behind the barbed-wire enclosures of United States internment camps along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans. He spent most of his childhood at Camp Rohwer in the swamps of Arkansas and at wind-swept Camp Tule Lake in northern California. At the end of the war, Takei’s family returned to their native Los Angeles.

Inspired by this difficult chapter of American history, Takei developed the Broadway musical Allegiance, an epic story of love, family and heroism in which he starred alongside Tony Award winner Lea Salonga. Allegiance’s record-breaking world premiere, at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 2012, won multiple awards, and was followed by a Broadway run in 2015-2016.

Now a community activist, Takei serves as chair of the council of governors of East West Players, the nation’s foremost Asian Pacific American theater. He is also a member of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender political organization. Takei is Chairman Emeritus of the Japanese American National Museum’s Board of Trustees; a member of the US-Japan Bridging Foundation Board of Directors; and served on the Board of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission under President Bill Clinton. In recognition of his contribution to the Japan-United States relationship, in 2004, Takei was conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, by His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan.

2021’s edition of Trekonderoga is his first appearance in Ti – what an opportunity to meet a fascinating member of the original bridge crew! Be there when he returns to where it all started, on the bridge of the Enterprise, in various photo opportunities and chats!

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Dr. David Alexander

Dr Alexander was selected as a NASA Flight Surgeon in November 2004. His NASA Flight Surgeon Training included orientation briefings and tours, numerous scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training and ground school to prepare for T-38 flight training. He is a certified Flight Controller for the International Space Station and Shuttle. He served as Deputy Crew Surgeon for Shuttle Mission STS-123 and ISS Expeditions 11, 23, and 47. He was the Lead Crew Surgeon for Expeditions 14, 33/34, 42/43 and 52. He was also Lead Crew Surgeon for STS-128.

His titles include:

  • Lead, Medical Operations, Suit Design Team – Constellation
  • Lead, Medical Operations, Suit Design Team – Commercial
  • Medical Operations Lead – Direct Return Operations – Soyuz Crew Recovery
  • oVIIP (operational Visual Impairment and Intracranial Hypertension) working group member
  • Intraocular Pressure Training Lead and In-Flight Director
  • SME Subject Matter Expert) Atmospheres and CO2
    • Directs the Operational CO2 working group
    • Research includes terrestrial chamber and on orbit effects of various concentrations of CO2 and O2
    • Design Requirements reviewer for atmospheres the vehicles: Constellation, Orion, SpaceX, Boeing
  • Medical Spaceflight Atmospheric Standards Lead

His military Experience Includes:

  • Squadron Medical Element 39th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home ID
  • Lead on Emergency Response Package for Expeditionary MEDical Support System
  • Flight Surgeon, then Chief of Flight Medicine, and then Chief or Aerospace Medicine at the 149th Fighter Wing
  • Currently:
    • Officer in Charge and Flight Surgeon on the Regional Medical Planning Team – Region 6 (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico)
    • Deputy State Air Surgeon, Texas
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Professor Matthew Szydagis

Dr. Matthew Szydagis grew up with Star Trek: The Next Generation and after watching Lt. Cmdr. Data he realized that science officer was the position for him. He received his B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 2005, 2006, and 2011 respectively, then continued his work in physics as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California Davis (2010-14).

Since 2014, Dr. Szydagis has been a member of the physics faculty at the University at Albany SUNY, pursuing experimental particle astrophysics, in particular direct laboratory detection of dark matter particles, underground. He works on the liquid-Xenon-based LZ experiment and with supercooled water (the “snowball chamber”), and is the developer of the NEST (Noble Element Simulation Technique) computer software.

Since 2019 Matthew has also been a member of UAPx, helping to seek answers regarding the true nature of UAP from a scientific perspective. Most recently, you can find him as a regular on the History Channel TV show “The Proof is Out There” and in the documentary film “A Tear in the Sky.”

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