ConGregate 12: Full Schedule

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1:00pm EDT

Designer Aliens

Friday July 17, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

A panel discussing the scientific basis for life in all its shapes and sizes and the critical features needed to make realistic alien life in sci-fi.

Moderator: Angela Giddings

Speakers

Angela Giddings

Film Guest

A.M. Giddings is a writer, scientist, cellist, independent filmmaker and aspiring swamp hag from North Carolina. She has a PhD in Microbiology and has authored multiple scientific articles in virology, cell line design, and gene therapy. She enjoys writing stories that live within... Read More →

Dennis M. Myers

Literary Guest

Born and raised in central Minnesota, Dennis M. Myers developed a serious reading habit early in life due to the influence of his grandmother. In late high school he read one particularly "awful" book and, with all that teenage hubris, decided that he could do better.After spending... Read More →

Dr. Philip A. Kramer

Science Guest

Dr. Philip A. Kramer is a biomedical researcher who studies aging, oxidative stress, and metabolism. In addition to his academic works, he is a hard science fiction author with two published novels (under the name P. A. Kramer), and several award-winning short stories. His blog (... Read More →

Jim Beall

Science Guest

Jim Beall (BS-Math, MBA, PE) has been a nuclear engineer for 50 years, beginning as a nuclear engineering officer in the US Navy. Civilian experience includes design, construction, inspection, enforcement, and assessment with a nuclear utility, an architect engineering firm, and the... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Science

Tech Needs sound system

2:30pm EDT

Are Vikings the New Pirates

Friday July 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Pirates once ruled the Renn Festivals and Convention Corridors, but it seems lately that Vikings are taking over. What is it about Vikings (and their costumes) that make them all the rage?

Moderator: Matt Penick

Speakers

Matthew Penick

Costuming Guest

Matthew Penick has been cosplaying since 2005 and took his passion for costuming to the professional level in 2009 with the creation of the theatrical design company Ribbons and Rivets. The self-taught designer began primarily working with leather, and while he still considers leatherwork... Read More →

Miriam "Tinker Tank" Penick

Costuming Guest

The Tinker Tank is a life-long art kid with a Studio Art degree that fell into costuming and cosplay through her post-collegiate pursuit of replicating the outfit of her childhood hero— Xena. She has since fallen in love with bringing beloved characters to life and works full time... Read More →

Cheralyn Lambeth

Film Guest

Cheralyn (Cher) Lambeth is a professional costume, prop, and puppet builder whose work includes feature films (The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Patriot, Evan Almighty, The Hunger Games, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret), television shows (Dinosaurs!, Homeland, Outcast, The ... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Costuming/Cosplay

Tech Needs sound system

4:00pm EDT

Statistics: Truth or Lie

Friday July 17, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

A discussion of well-known "statistics" and their associated fallacies. The panelists may bring up a statistic to other panelists and see if they can spot the problems with it (along with some discussion about why it's misleading).

Moderator: Brandon Whitworth

Speakers

Gray Rinehart

Literary Guest

Gray Rinehart is an award-winning author, an editor, a singer/songwriter, and a retired Air Force officer. He is the only person to have commanded a USAF satellite tracking station, written speeches for Presidential appointees, devised a poetic form, and had music on The Dr. Demento... Read More →

Fraser Sherman

Literary Guest

Born in England, Fraser Sherman wound up spending most of his life in Northwest Florida. He’d be there still if he hadn’t fallen in love and moved to Durham NC to marry his dream woman. They’re still together, with two dogs and two cats added to the family.Fraser has published... Read More →

Dr. Robert Hampson

Literary Guest

Professor, Neuroscientist, and Unofficial Penguin WhispererWhen not advancing the frontiers of neuroscience or constructing elaborate multiversal portals in his office, Dr. Rob can be found lecturing to an elite audience of penguins in lab coats. An advocate of hands-on learning... Read More →

Brandon Whitworth

Science Guest

Brandon Whitworth is a professional engineer with over 20 years of experience on a variety of projects with many interests inside and outside engineering. His professional career has spanned many projects, including the Space Shuttle program (where he was awarded a Silver Snoopy... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Science

Tech Needs sound system

5:30pm EDT

All Our Favorite "Stars"

Friday July 17, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Star Wars: Andor, Star Trek, StarGate, (Battlestar Galactica and Firefly) - Fandom has passionately followed the tv series that take us to the Stars...what is it about a series set in space that captures our attention so much so that fans have driven the "saving" of franchises, the never ending reboots and new versions of our favorite series.

Moderator: Tom Hutchens

Speakers

Sammie Cassell

Film Guest

Sammie Cassell is a North Carolina based filmmaker, actor, improv and sketch comedian, and all around busy guy. His film/tv credits include Halloween Kills, Eyes of Tammy Faye, Kill Giggles and upcoming appearances in Righteous Gemstones and Please Don’t Destroy. A life long comic book fan and collector along with being a lover of all things horror, wrestling and pop culture, he’s also known as Sammie the Comic Book Man. Sammie and his production partners, Dan Sellers, Jeff Cochran, and Chad Hunt with Wreak Havoc Productions also do the... Read More →

Tom Hutchens

Costuming Guest

Founder of the Mando Mercs Costume Club, being a Mandalorian fan goes all the way back to 1983, a five-year-old sitting in the theater watching Boba Fett fall into the Sarlacc Pit in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

In 2007 Tom founded the Mando Mercs Costume Club (MMCC), becoming o

... Read More →

EJ Isaacs

Literary Guest

EJ Isaacs is at heart, a geek. As a child I grew up with classics in science fiction from Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark and Robert Heinlein. A late comer to role playing, he enjoyed creating backgrounds to the characters he was playing. For a three-year period, he was involved with... Read More →

Kevin A. Davis

Literary Guest

Kevin A Davis is a fantasy author with over twenty published novels, including the award-winning DRC Files, a paranormal procedural series where the Atlanta-based team hunts cryptids.He resides in north Florida and attends conventions throughout the year, including as staff as Director... Read More →

Janet Carden

Online Media Guest

Janet Carden aka The Halfling is one half of the husband/wife team of The Halfling and The Spaceman podcast. She has been active in many aspects of fandom since her high school days. She and her husband have created many fan projects together, including The Familiar Magazine... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Film/TV

Tech Needs sound system

7:00pm EDT

Room Closed

Friday July 17, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT

Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Friday July 17, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Room Closed

8:00pm EDT

Jim Beall Presents "Fusion"

Friday July 17, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Where it "began," how we got "here," a run-down of the types of fusion, and then a round-up of most of the current fusion research paths and their relative promises.

Speakers

Jim Beall

Science Guest

Friday July 17, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Science

Tech Needs Projector/Screen, sound system

9:30pm EDT

The Forgotten Cryptids

Friday July 17, 2026 9:30pm - 10:30pm EDT

Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

The Forgotten Cryptids - Giant Leeches? Giant Gila Monsters? Killer Shrews? - Lets talk about the lesser known B movies that kept the cryptid genre going all these years

Moderator: O Hai Mark

Speakers

O Hai Mark

Online Media Guest

O. Hai Mark is a filmmaker, online content creator, and event host from southwest VA. His absolute love of poorly reviewed movies is legendary, and he has turned that into a weekly internet show called Terribke Movies with Wonderful People. O. Hai also has a production company that... Read More →

Bill Mulligan

Film Guest

A 25+ year veteran of high school science teaching, Bill Mulligan has parlayed his love of horror, science fiction, and fantasy films into podcasting, convention panels, indie filmmaking, and storytelling. With creative partners such as Christine Parker and Mark C. Lucas, he has worked... Read More →

Fraser Sherman

Literary Guest

Friday July 17, 2026 9:30pm - 10:30pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Fandom

Tech Needs Projector/Screen, sound system

1:00pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

5:30pm EDT

7:00pm EDT

8:00pm EDT

9:30pm EDT

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