July 2025 saw the release of a new book of academic essays on Star Trek. Second Star To the Right: Essays in Leadership in Star Trek (Vernon Press), edited by Jason A. Kaufman and Aaron M. Peterson, features 18 chapters reflecting on how Trek teaches us to lead with a strong, guiding vision for the future. My chapter in the book is called “No Room for Bigotry on the Bridge: Star Trek, DEI, and Cultural Competence” and reflects on Star Trek from the vantage point of 10 years teaching about the beauty of religious diversity and the importance of cultural competence to aspiring nursing students. You can check out the volume and pick up a copy here (or request it from your local academic or public library). Many thanks to the editors for including my chapter—and for their own high-minded leadership.
But 2025 was a summer of Trek for Central Ohio more broadly, as it happened, and I was fascinated to be a part of it. Through my excellent 501st Legion friend Tom Betti, I became aware that a new Trek exhibit would be temporarily installed at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio (DACO), located in downtown Lancaster at the Reese-Peters House, from May 31-August 31, 2025, titled “Star Trek & Worlds Beyond.” The exhibit of over 150 props, costumes and artifacts from the Trek universe(s) was a collaboration between DACO, the Paramount Archives (curator Randall Thropp), the Trumbull County Historical Society and the Museum of Science Fiction and Fantasy Arts, a new permanent collection planned in Warren, Ohio to house a huge donation from Modern Props’ John Zabrucky, some of which were on display.
Tom introduced me to the wonderful Judith Oppenheimer of DACO. Judith, learning of my involvement with Star Trek as not just a super fan, but as an academic writer and co-editor (with Amy H. Sturgis) of Star Trek: Essays Exploring the Final Frontier (Vernon Press, 2023), quickly pulled me into the festivities. (I gave little resistance, recognizing this would be futile.)
My involvement, besides fanning-out at the VIP opening for the DACO exhibit over all the amazing Trek costumes and items on display, involved an appearance at the Bexley Library for an author visit focused on my work with Star Trek on June 22. You can view my ~45-minute presentation, titled “No Bigotry on the Bridge: how Star Trek imagines inclusive communities,” in full on their YouTube channel. In a time when speaking positively about diversity has become a risk, I was grateful for the Bexley Library’s hospitality and their commitment to creating and protecting spaces for free speech.
Perhaps the most enjoyable Trek event I helped with this past summer was the last: a guided tour of the DACO exhibit by Columbus-based fashion and fibre artist Celeste Malvar-Stewart called “Boldly Dressed: A Tour of Star Trek Fashion” on July 24. Celeste is a truly delightful human with whom I quickly made a strong connection, including our shared, foundational spirituality and ethical focus to everything we do. She led our sold-out Boldly Dressed session through the exhibit, focusing on specific costumes and their fabrics, design choices and real-world inspirations, such as the subtle nods to both minimalism and futurism in Lieutenant Sulu’s civilian Earth attire in 1983’s Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. (The vast majority of pieces in the exhibit were from the J.J. Abrams films, but there were several notable pieces from the original series and early films.) My role was to fill in the Star Trek lore, both in-universe and in the real world of the franchise’s historical and cultural context. (Eg. I answered questions like, “What’s a Tribble?”) We made a good team, Celeste and I, and the patrons were both engaged and appreciative. I was too, especially for Celeste’s deep knowledge and joyful presence. The photos below were taken by Judith Oppenheimer, to whom I am especially grateful for connecting me with Celeste and these out-of-this-world opportunities, right here in Central Ohio.
Who knew Central Ohio would turn out to be a hub of Trek culture in summer 2025? I was proud to be among those… making it so.