Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), the new catch-all term to describe unusual objects in the sky, underwater, or in space, have become a worldwide mystery—and media sensation. Credible witnesses, including military pilots, have observed aerial objects that cannot be easily identified.
Are these objects real or sensor artifacts? Are they a threat to aerospace safety and national security? Are they unknown natural phenomena? What else could they be?
In this program, a multidisciplinary panel of experts will explore the scientific process of studying UAP and discuss a roadmap for future research that utilizes a rigorous, evidence-based method.
Virtual attendance option
This program will be presented in-person at the Linda Hall Library. If you would prefer to watch this program virtually, please follow this link to register:
Nadia Drake is a science journalist who specializes in covering space exploration and the search for life beyond Earth. For many years, she was a contributing writer with National Geographic; most recently, she was the interim physics editor at Quanta Magazine, and she has written for numerous publications including Nature, The New York Times, Science News, and Scientific American.
Dr. Drake recently served on NASA's Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team. Nadia holds a PhD in genetics from Cornell University and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruze.
Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich Alex Dietrich is an F/A-18F strike fighter pilot from the VFA-41 “Black Aces” of Lemoore, CA, having logged over 1,250 hours and 375 carrier arrested landings serving two combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Her combat honors include Air Combat and Bronze Star medals. She was recognized by American Valor as one of the first Women in Special Operations.
She spent seven years teaching Leadership, Ethics and Code of the Warrior at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, where she retired from active duty in 2021. She was appointed a Scholar in Residence at the University of Colorado Boulder, teaching Leadership & Management in the School of Engineering, receiving the University's "Best Should Teach" award in 2024. She now serves Syracuse University’s College of Engineering & Computer Science, leading strategy and innovation.
Greg Eghigian, PhD, is Professor of History and Bioethics at Penn State, where his recent interests are in the history of UFO sightings and claims of alien contact throughout the world. He is the author of the new book, After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon (published May 6, 2024, by Oxford University Press).
Dr. Eghigian earned a BA in psychology from Bard College and an MA and PhD in modern European history from the University of Chicago.
Joshua Semeter, PhD, was one of 16 individuals who served on the NASA UAP Study Team, which issued its final report on September 14, 2023, with a series of recommendations for the agency could help or move our understanding of UAP forward.
Dr. Semeter is a professor of electrical and computer engineering as well as the director of the Center for Space Physics at Boston University. He earned a PhD in electrical engineering from Boston University.
