SCIENCEFEST NEWS
Tonight, Thursday, July 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Fuller Lodge, join Virgin Galactic for an exclusive virtual tour for Los Alamos ScienceFest participants. After the tour, which is hosted by Virgin Galactic’s Veronica McGowan, participate in a virtual Q&A with Katie Westley, the Galactic Unite Associate Manager for Virgin Galactic (VG). The session will be followed by a presentation and Q&A with Dr. Hunter McDaniel, Founder and CEO of local Los Alamos-based company, UbiQD, Inc.
Attendees can attend both sessions either virtually, or in-person at Fuller Lodge. For virtual participation, registration is required in advance for the Virgin Galactic tour and Q&A; the UbiQD presentation and Q&A will be streamed on the Los Alamos ScienceFest Facebook page.
For more information about the rest of the Los Alamos ScienceFest schedule, visit www.LosAlamosScienceFest.com.
Thursday, July 8 (In-Person Events):6:30 p.m., Fuller Lodge
Virgin Galactic Virtual Tour and Q&A – Veronica McGowan and Katie WestleyRegistration (only needed if you will be attending virtually); otherwise the session will be streamed at Fuller Lodge.
7:30 p.m., Fuller Lodge
Quantum Dots Are Becoming Ubiquitous – How UbiQD is Helping Feed and Power the Future with Nanotechnology – Hunter McDaniel, UbiQD CEO
About Katie Westley
Katie Westley is the Galactic Unite Associate Manager for Virgin Galactic. Galactic Unite is the outreach initiative of Virgin Galactic, supported by their Future Astronaut customer community, staff, and partners. By harnessing the power of space, they support and inspire the next generation of young people to pursue an education in STEM through scholarship and mentoring, community grants, events and more. Katie has been with VG for 6 years, starting as the Business Support Specialist for Engineering and then as a Technical Writer before moving into her current role. As a volunteer, she ran Galactic Unite’s outreach program on the ground for 4.5 years, hosting dozens of tours for local school children. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Philosophy from the University of Dallas, a Women in Leadership Certification from Cornell University, and has been recognized twice by her peers at Virgin Galactic for her leadership and service to the company mission. When she isn’t at work, Katie enjoys cooking, reading, and travelling with her husband, Brandon, and their dog, Oreo.
About Veronica McGowan:
McGowan first joined the Virgin Galactic family in 2015 as an intern and has held multiple full-time Structures-based roles for the company since. She received her Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering – Astronautics with a minor in Aviation Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Prior to her time at Virgin Galactic, Veronica interned for Gulfstream Aerospace as a Structures MRB Engineer and for the Michigan Department of Transportation as a Civil Engineer. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their two dogs—Rocket & Comet—traveling, and participating in outdoor activities such as snowboarding, watersports, 4-wheeling, and hiking.
About Dr. Hunter McDaniel:
UbiQD CEO Dr. Hunter McDaniel earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, before joining Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Chemistry Division. He founded UbiQD, Inc. in 2014, and the company has raised more than $10M, employs more than 20 full time. Their first product, UbiGro, is a layer of light that uses fluorescence to help plants get more from the sun in a greenhouse. Ultimately the value proposition is about boosting crop yields and quality without the cost or energy impact of lighting. Hunter has more than fifty publications and patents, and more than 2000 total citations, h-index: 20. Hunter fundamentally believes that novel materials underpin every significant technology advancement, and he is focused on leveraging new materials to have a lasting and sustainable impact.