From Canvas To Cosmos: Soviet Art, Solaris, Space Exploration, and the Science of Serene Spaces The New Space Race: A Roundtable Discussion Saturday, January 20 5 – 6 p.m. H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art Biographies of Presenters Douglas Arion, PhD is the director of Mountains of Stars, a public science outreach and education program, and is Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy and Donald D. Hedberg Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Entrepreneurial Studies at Carthage. Arion created and directed ScienceWorks, the nation’s first undergraduate entrepreneurship education program. Previously, he was assistant vice president and head of the Applied Physics and Engineering Division of Science Applications International Corporation, where for 15 years he directed programs in national nuclear defense. Arion is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a member of the American Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union, has received the Distinguished Service Award from Sigma Pi Sigma (the physics honorary society), the Volunteer Leadership Award from the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Dark Sky Defender Award from the International Dark Sky Association. He serves on US and international commissions on protecting astronomy and space environments. Douglas N. Arion, PhD Professor Temple Burling is a biophysicist who studies the physics and chemistry of living systems. He teaches courses in both the Physics and Biology departments. His teaching and research focus on the structure and function of protein molecules and on how physics impacts biological and biochemical processes. His teaching interests include helping students to see how physics provides both a deeper understanding of life processes and a greater sense of amazement at how life works. In addition, Prof. Burling does work in the history of science, studying topics at the interface of the sciences and the humanities. He teaches a Museum Studies course each JTerm during which students visit a variety of museums and participate in discussions and workshops with museum curators in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Kenosha. Kevin Crosby is a Professor of Physics at Carthage College and serves as Director for the NASA Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. Dr. Crosby has been awarded more than $16M in research and education funding for his work. Crosby and his students have supported several NASA spaceflight technology experiments. His work has resulted in five commercial partnerships for technology development and has led to four NASA-supported payload missions on the Blue Origin New Shepard spacecraft. He has flown more than one thousand parabolas on both NASA and commercial microgravity aircraft and mentored dozens of research students, several of whom now work for NASA and in the commercial space industry. Prof. Crosby also serves as Adjunct Scientist at the NASA Johnson Space Center where he works on the Modal Propellant Gauging Project, contributing to both the Orion Program and to commercial lunar lander programs. Crosby co-founded Space for Teachers, which provides authentic space research opportunities to STEAM teachers and students in Title I, rural, and under-resourced middle schools. Eric Hahn is an assistant professor of communication and digital media at Carthage College. He holds an M.A. and B.A. in Cinema Studies from NYU and SUNY Purchase, respectively, and a Ph.D. in Visual Studies from the University of California, Irvine. His research primarily centers on the shifting state of cinema with a focus on its underlying infrastructural and legal/policy frameworks. Eric also works as a film colorist and editor, whose work has appeared in film festivals like Tribeca, DOC NYC, and SXSW.
Donald Moore is a lawyer, investor, and entrepreneur in the defense, transportation, and infrastructure sectors on Earth and in Space. Having graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in political science and with a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and later earning an M.B.A., he has spent most of career living and working around the world. Moore has business experience in more than 50 countries working as a financial executive, a partner in global law firms, and a business advisor and investor in frontier locations. Since 2021, Moore has turned served as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of space technology developer GeoJump, Inc. (www.geojump.space) and space asset finance provider Space Finance Corporation (www.spacefinancecorp.com). He sits on various corporate and not-for-profit boards. More information can be found at www.donaldpiercemoore.com and on LinkedIn at (1) Donald Moore | LinkedIn. Jean Quashnock, PhD, a cosmologist and Carthage College professor in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is renowned for his contributions to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey's "Map of the Universe" project, cataloging millions of galaxies. With nearly 70 scientific publications, his diverse research spans early-universe cosmology, high-energy astrophysics, and gravitational waves. A member of prestigious organizations, including the American Astronomical Society, he earned a Ph.D. from Princeton after a B.Sc. with 1st class honors from McGill. Joining Carthage in 1999, he's played a pivotal role in growing the Physics & Astronomy department, achieving national recognition for student success in STEM careers. Beyond academia, Prof. Quashnock is also interested in acoustics, the physics of music, and has a passion for choral singing in Illinois and Wisconsin.