Tickets for our October 9, 2025 event are on sale now!
Maria Romano de León
“The Beautiful Madness: When Form Divorced Function in Italian Car Design”
In the late 60s and early 70s, Italian car designers must have read a thing about aerodynamics, had a lot of wine, and created what are now known as “wedge” cars. We will explore the glorious era when designers decided that things like getting in the car, steering, and seeing where you are going are mere afterthoughts in service of their just-okay understanding of how to make something go really fast. We will discuss the wedgiest wedges that ever wedged, like the the Lamborghini Countach, the De Tomaso Pantera, and the DeLorean (time travel sold separately) and examine how Italian designers created some of the most stunning cars ever built while forcing us to think of new, weird names for all the types of doors they came up with.
Maria Romano de León is a curator and arts educator who developed exhibits and authored automotive texts as Chief Curator at the San Diego Automotive Museum and as an Assistant Curator the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Maria is a graduate of UC San Diego with a B.A. in Art History, where she studied abroad at the Università degli Studi di Padova. She earned an M.A. in Arts & Heritage Policy from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, with her thesis research completed in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Jerry Twomey
“A Twisted Tale: The Complex Relationship Between Science and Engineering”
Science and engineering have been in a long-term relationship spanning many centuries. But what kind of dynamic is at play? Is it mutually supportive, a competition, or some kind of codependendency? This presentation explores major advances driven by science and engineering, and examines famous contributors – past and present – to determine whether they’re scientists, engineers, or something else.
Jerry Twomey is an electrical engineer that has designed many consumer, medical, aerospace, and commercial products. As an author he wrote the book: “Applied Embedded Electronics, Design Essentials for Robust Systems” and also writes trade magazine articles on common technology issues. As a teacher, he does seminars in embedded systems, IC design, and medical technology.
Beyond technology, Jerry enjoys racing sailboats, restoring classic cars, skiing, hiking, yoga, music, and margaritas. After being raised in Massachusetts, migrating to Silicon Valley, and then to San Diego, he’s seen the sunset from both sides of the country.
Catherine Schrankel
“The Real Superpowers of Weird Invertebrates in the Ocean”
Ever wondered why the Octopus is SO good at disguising itself? Do you think there are other animals that have unique superpowers compared to us humble humans? And who the heck studies this, and why should we in the first place?? Come join me under the sea to explore the answer to these questions and more!
Catherine (or “Dr.Cat” to her students), opened her cell biology lab at San Diego State University in Fall 2022. Her research is focused on the tools used by different cell types in animals (specifically Urchins–both the human and marine animal kind!). Anchored by her background in toxicology in mammalian cells (PostDoc at UC San Diego), Evolution of Immune Systems (PhD at University of Toronto), and developmental biology (honestly, since 5th grade?), DrCat’s lab seeks to understand how cells and tissue protect themselves from non-self in their environment. We are also committed to training students and improving the workforce development of the next generations in STEM research and education. Outside of the lab, DrCat enjoys cooking, exploring East County with her partner and their ridiculous fluffy dog, and doing arts and crafts in her spare time”