Rebecca Mercuri, Ph.D. of Notable Software

Many of us are familiar with the "Weird NJ" periodical, but can you recount the Garden State's numerous Weird Antenna Projects? Dr. Rebecca Mercuri's talk will explore NJ's contributions to transmission history from telegraphy to Telstar! From the swampy remains of the AT&T WOO ship-to-shore radio service, to the eery Marconi shrine alongside a shopping center, Rebecca charts a course in time and space that is intriguing as well as educational. You will be taken on a virtual tour that features projects by Morse, Tesla, Armstrong and many more, along with entertaining tales, photographs, and some classic cold war era newsreel footage.

Biography:

Rebecca Mercuri, Ph.D. <www.notablesoftware.com> is a cybersecurity expert with avid audio engineering and broadcasting interests. Currently on a brief sabbatical from her digital forensics work, she is serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Drew University. Her numerous accomplishments include: providing testimony in the Bush v. Gore election controversy, speaking (briefly) with Susan Helms on the ISS in a radio Field Day contact, and receiving citations from the ARRL and Red Cross for her emergency radio service during the 9/11 effort. Rebecca (KA3IAX) is also the Vice-Chair of the David Sarnoff Radio Club, a co-founder of the Princeton area ACM/IEEE Computer Society, and a past Chair of the IEEE Princeton/Central Jersey Section. In her spare time, she enjoys visiting lighthouses (especially those with old antenna sites) and herding stray cats.