FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Livermore Valley Arts
Contact: Ruth Egherman (925) 583-2306
Rocket Scientist by Day, Warp Drive Expert by Night,
this May at The Rae Dorough Speaker Series
Livermore, CA – (April 7, 2025) – Closing out the second year of the exciting partnership where Bankhead Presents the Rae Dorough Speaker Series, Livermore Valley Arts is thrilled to share a powerful speaker for the Tri-Valley this May. A not-to-be-missed conversation and Q&A opportunity, Dr. Erin Macdonald, the Official Science Advisor for the Star Trek Franchise, will close our the 2024—2025 RDSS season by engaging, enlightening, and inspiring the Tri-Valley on Sunday, May the 4th; this starry matinee speaker performance will take place at the beautiful Bankhead Theater in Downtown Livermore.
Dr. Erin Macdonald (PhD Astrophysics, Star Trek Science Advisor) hails from Fort Collins, CO, and did her undergraduate degrees at the University of Colorado at Boulder where she dual-majored in Physics with Astrophysics (cum laude) and Mathematics. She earned her Ph.D. at 25 years old from the University of Glasgow in Gravitational Astrophysics. Her post-doctoral research with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration on gravitational waves from dead and colliding stars and black holes contributed to the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics (though she left the collaboration before their discovery). She has taught at the college level, worked with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and written and narrated numerous popular science podcasts including an Audible Original series produced by The Great Courses on “The Science of Sci-Fi” which reached the March 2020 Audible Non-Fiction Top 10 bestseller list, and in October 2022, she published “Star Trek: My First Book of Space,” a baby board book. Since 2019, “Dr. Erin” has been the science advisor for the entire Star Trek franchise. She is an internationally sought-after public speaker, educator, STEAM advocate, writer, and technical consultant who explains complex physics and astronomy ideas to varied audiences. She is also the founder and owner of Spacetime
Productions, a film company dedicated to lifting and sharing marginalized talent and stories.
Bringing her expertise in gravitational astrophysics to the forefront as the science advisor for Star Trek, she ensures scientific accuracy while bridging the gap between science and pop culture. Bankhead Presents the Rae Dorough Speaker Series is proud to be bringing such a leading voice in science communication to the Tri-Valley on May 4. Audiences will not want to miss this chance to hear from Dr. Macdonald as she shares her insights on the universe’s mysteries and the fascinating world of science fiction. This speaking engagement is sponsored in part by Jean King and Quest Science Center. Tickets for remaining shows in the 2024—2025 Bankhead Presents season are available online, by calling 925-373-6800, or at the box office windows. For a complete list of events, visit LivermoreArts.org.
The speaker series honors the late Rae Dorough, a respected Livermore resident and strong supporter of cultural events. Members of her family and friends were the initiating sponsors in 2008. The series features provocative, entertaining, and enlightening presentations on a wide variety of topics. Past speakers have included engineers, scientists, fiction and non-fiction writers and historians, entrepreneurs, comedians and entertainers, diplomats, astronauts, journalists, and even a former secretary of defense. Sponsored in part by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, Sandia National Laboratories, the Alameda County Arts Commission, Towne Center Books, and ImageSetters, the Rae Dorough series also partners with the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District and Las Positas College to provide free or reduced-price tickets to students and educators. Additionally, individual and corporate supporters help sponsor specific presentations.
# # #
Livermore Valley Arts is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit offering wide-ranging programs that provide access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. The Bankhead Theater and Bothwell Arts Center are home to eight resident performing arts companies, over 40 studio artists, and cultural arts instructors. LivermoreArts.org
Show: Dr. Erin Macdonald
Date/Time: Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 3:00pm
Tickets: $25—$55 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events available at www.LivermoreArts.org
