Schedule

Richard WylieMensa member

Richard Wylie joined Mensa in November 1993, later becoming a lifetime member. He has Bachelor and Master's degrees in Engineering, and worked as an Engineer for 38 years with TRW and Northrop Grumman at Space Park in Redondo Beach, California. His primary focus was Spacecraft Thermal Analysis of Spacecraft, including launch support at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Richard’s talk is entitled ““Stories from 38 Years in Aerospace Engineering”. His stories originate from a high-tech environment, along with some technical and historical information that may be of interest. Asking questions during the Presentation is encouraged; however, there is no guarantee that they will be answered.. There will be no Math

Dave Lehman

JPL Project Manager

Dave Lehman worked at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for 40 years as a Technical Manager for the Mars Pathfinder Attitude and Information Management Subsystem. He was also Project Manager for Deep Space One, the lunar explorer Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL), and the Mars Odyssey mission.

Richard SmileyMensa member

Shakespeare Oxford Society Director

Richard Smiley, who currently lives in Anacortes, Washington, received a PHD from USC and worked as an educational psychologist in Alaska for 28 years. After that, he conducted program evaluations and applied research for the U.S. Dept of Education in Portland Oregon. Since 1998 Richard has been involved in the Shakespeare authorship controversy having served as webmaster and member of the Board of Trustees of the Shakespeare Oxford Society. Many people think the works of our Bard were not written by a man from Stratford-on-Avon. However, 95% of college English professors believe that William Shakespeare was from Stratford-on-Avon. Join Richard Smiley for a thought-provoking talk on the Shakespeare authorship controversy. Then, make up your own mind!

Sally Westlake

Targeted Outreach Specialist in the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI)

Sally Westlake is a Targeted Outreach Specialist with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), the state regulator that protects consumers and oversees state-licensed financial institutions including banks, credit unions, debt collectors, nonbank mortgage lenders, student loan servicers, and money transmitters. As part of the DFPI's Targeted Outreach Team, she promotes financial literacy and helps students, older adults, veterans, and underserved communities understand their rights and avoid fraud. Her specialties include scam and fraud prevention, consumer financial education, investor education, financial elder abuse awareness, and Korean-language events. At StaRGazing 2027, she will present "Protect Yourself from Fraud," sharing how to spot the latest tricks scammers use—from phishing emails to fake investment opportunities—and offering key red flags and simple, practical steps to help attendees stay safe in today's digital world.

Jim Underdown

Center for Inquiry Director

The Center for Inquiry Investigations Group offers $500,000 to anyone who can prove paranormal or supernatural powers in a controlled test. This prize has gone unclaimed for over 27 years, yet people keep applying and keep failing. How does science go about testing extraordinary claims? And who are these people who claim to possess superpowers? James Underdown is the Chair and Founder of the CFIIG, which is based in Los Angeles. His group has tested more folks claiming paranormal powers than anyone, anywhere. In this talk he'll give an overview of The Paranormal Challenge and an insider's look at this unique work testing bizarre claims.

Richard LedererMensa member

Author, linguist, and speaker on the English language

Born in 1938, Richard Lederer is an American linguist, author, speaker, and teacher hailed as one of the nation's most prolific and popular commentators on the English language. The youngest of five children, he grew up in West Philadelphia, graduated from Haverford College, and earned an MA from Harvard and a PhD from the University of New Hampshire. A self-described "verbivore," he has written more than 60 books, including his best-selling Anguished English series, and co-founded NPR's "A Way With Words." Nicknamed "Attila the Pun" and "Conan the Grammarian," he was named International Punster of the Year in 1989. At StaRGazing 2027, in a program titled The Lighter Side of American History, he will share bloopers, puns, and presidential stinkers, illuminating the great American adventure.

Angie MattsonMensa member

Mensa Member

Angie Mattson began her Mensa career in Chicago before moving to Orange County, where the weather is so much nicer! She has developed (or co-developed) various trivia games over the years for presentation at RGs and AGs, including How to Be a Mensa Millionaire, Cash Cab, ShowDown, Adverteasing, and Not Necessarily Jeopardy. Angie will host Mensa Millionaire. with Robert Savenye,

Jerry Rishe

SAGE Lecturer

Hollywood's Hidden Business: Madams, Cops and Fixers Behind the glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age was another world - one involving madams, police, studio executives, gossip columnists, gangsters, and the people whose job was to keep scandals from becoming headlines. What happened when a movie star's private life threatened the carefully manufactured image that Hollywood sold to the public? And who made the problems disappear? Through a series of fascinating and sometimes surprising true stories, this presentation examines the largely invisible system that helped Hollywood protect its stars, its studios, and its most valuable product: reputation.

Sandy Masuo

” Birds do it... Bees do it…” It’s because plants do it that every other living organism on our planet is able to keep on doing it. Join author, educator, plant nerd, and garden voyeur, Sandy Masuo, for a peek into the world of plant reproduction in “Sex in the Garden: The Dirt on Plant Reproduction”. Learn about selfing, cloning, and threesomes with pollinators (exclusive and open relationships). You’ll never look at flowers the same way again!