Biographies of Show Participants

PHIL LAMARR (Host)

A Los Angeles native, Phil is an alumnus of Yale University and The Groundlings Theater and perhaps is best known as one of the original cast members of MAD TV, as “Hermes” on FUTURAMA,  as "Marvin" in PULP FICTION, “Green Lantern” on JUSTICE LEAGUE and as the voice of SAMURAI JACK. For over 30 years Phil has thrilled audiences with his work on camera and behind the microphone on TV shows such as STATIC SHOCK, FAMILY GUY, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, the CW’s THE FLASH & SUPERGIRL, GET SHORTY, LUCIFER and VEEP; feature films like MADAGASCAR 2, INCREDIBLES 2, and THE LION KING (2019) and video games including FORTNITE, SHADOW OF MORDOR, and the INJUSTICE, METAL GEAR SOLID, and the MORTAL KOMBAT series.

MISTY BENTZ (Astronomer)

Dr. Misty Bentz is an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Georgia State University.  As an astrophysicist, she specializes in ground- and space-based imaging and spectroscopy, with a focus on active galactic nuclei and black holes.  Her work utilizes several well-known telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope, the Gemini Observatory, and the Apache Point Observatory.  Her research program is supported by grants totaling almost $2 million, including a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and several NASA grants.  In addition, her Early Release Science proposal was recently selected as one of the first science programs to be conducted with the James Webb Space Telescope, making her one of the first astronomers in the world that will get to test out the capabilities of NASA’s next flagship mission.  She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a NASA Hubble Fellowship, the GSU College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Senior Faculty Award, and the GSU Outstanding Faculty Achievement Award. 

DEVIN CHU (Astronomer)

Dr. Devin Chu is a postdoctoral researcher working with the Galactic Center Group. His research focuses on searching for binary stars using integral field spectroscopy with adaptive optics. Devin received his B.A. in Physics and Astronomy from Dartmouth College in 2014 and his Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2020.