Penn State Altoona News

Monday, October 16, 2006 - 105 hits

Scientist, entrepreneur, artist, and novelist Dr. Astro Teller speaks at Penn State Altoona

Scientist, entrepreneur, artist, and novelist Dr. Astro Teller will present a free lecture Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Edith Davis Eve Chapel at Penn State Altoona. Pursuing his interests in the connections between the mind and body and our minds and our computers, Teller is an innovator in medical technology and artificial intelligence; he writes and speaks widely about these issues, publishing fiction and producing art installations alongside his creation of two successful companies and numerous US patents.

Teller is co-founder, chairman, and CEO of BodyMedia, Inc. Prior to starting BodyMedia in 1999, Teller was co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Sandbox Advanced Development, an advanced development technology company. Before his tenure as a business executive, Teller taught at Stanford University and was an engineer and researcher for Phoenix Laser Technologies, Stanford’s Center for Integrated Systems, and The Carnegie Group Incorporated.

Teller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Stanford University; a Master of Science in symbolic and heuristic computation, also from Stanford University; and a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence from Carnegie Mellon University, where he was a recipient of the prestigious Hertz fellowship.

His work in science, literature, art, and business has appeared in international media, from The New York Times to CNN to NPR's “All Things Considered.” Teller has given invited talks for branches of the Armed Services and at numerous national and international technology and business forums on the subject of computer science and the future of intelligent technology.

During his visit to Penn State Altoona, he will discuss the inspirations behind, challenges with, and underlying commonalities between his business ventures, scientific pursuits, and life as an artist and has entitled this presentation "Harnessing the Inspirations." Because of Teller's wide-ranging interests and his ability to combine these interests so well, this talk promises to be stimulating for diverse audiences.

The lecture, sponsored by Penn State Altoona Student Activity Fees; the Office of Student Affairs; the Honors Program; the English Program; and the Divisions of Arts & Humanities, Business & Engineering, Education, Human Development & Social Science, and Math and Natural Sciences at Penn State Altoona, is free and open to the public.