Category: Presenters

Ronald Held has a Ph. D in astrophysics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. As a fan since TOS, Star Tek has inspired his research and presentation topics.

Andrew Liptak is a writer and historian from Vermont. He is the Public Relation and Guest Services Coordinator for the Vermont Historical Society, and is the author Cosplay: A History (Saga Press, June, 2022). Liptak has worked as a journalist for more than a decade, appearing in places such as Clarkesworld Magazine, Gizmodo, Grist, io9, Kirkus Reviews, Lifehacker, OneZero, Pando Daily, Polygon, Slate, Tor.com, Uncanny Magazine, VentureBeat, The Verge, and other publications. He currently writes Transfer Orbit, a newsletter about the intersection of speculative fiction and real life.

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.”

Kent Schmidt was born in South Carolina, but was relocated to Upstate NY when he was a teenager. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science. He began working in retail environments until he started a 22-year career selling and leasing automobiles. A lifelong computer and electronic enthusiast, he transitioned into an IT management position with the Della Auto Group and now supports 250+ users with their technology issues. He is one year and one day younger than the original Star Trek, but was propped up in his crib to watch some of the original run. After Trek went into syndication, he rarely missed an episode after school and never during the summer months. He worked as a Production Assistant, then Grip, Key Grip, and finally, Gaffer for the long-running fan series Star Trek New Voyages/ Phase II. His study of Jerry Finnerman’s lighting techniques and practices and his application of those methods resulted in the high point of his lighting career when David Gerrold said “You are channeling Jerry Finnerman with your lighting. Kent, he would be proud of you.” His perspective on the Borg stems from an extensive Science Fiction library and decades of reading, watching, and studying Sci-Fi in all its forms.

I have been a Star Trek fan for life and a collector for almost as long. James was good enough to invite me to Trekonderoga to talk about all the stuff I’ve collected over the decades and to share some of the stories behind those collectibles. I have two Star Trek Web sites: CollectingTrek.ca tells the stories behind my best collectibles and TorontoStarTrek76.ca is the definitive history of Canada’s first and best Star Trek convention. Let’s talk about Star Trek collecting.

Dr David Alexander, MD, is a NASA Flight Surgeon and the Principle Medical Officer (PMO) for the Moon to Mars/Gateway program. He has supported 23 ISS and shuttle missions and Lead Crew Surgeon for 8 missions. He developed the Direct Return of Astronauts Program and recovered 38 crews. His expertise and research is in Spaceflight and Aviation Environments.

Prior to his becoming a NASA Flight Surgeon, he was a Flight Physician at Cleveland Metro Life Flight and then went on to STAT MedEVAC as the Associate Medical Director. His Air Force background also includes being a Squadron Medical Element for an F-15 squadron, Chief of Flight Medicine, and Chief of Aerospace Medicine at the 149th Fighter Wing. He is currently the Texas State Air Surgeon for the Air National Guard.