Curriculum Vitae

  • Astrophysics researcher with journalistically and academically recognized expertise in scientific, nuclear, and global security issues, with background in science writing and journalism, and experience in sales and installation of computer and telecom systems.
  • Successes include co-compiling an historic astronomical database for NASA, chronicling historic moments as a journalist and photojournalist, and helping to make a difference in historically significant scientific, political and global campaigns.
  • Modus operandi combines energetic drive with perfectionist zeal to successfully achieve important scientific, public, and global goals. A works-well-and-plays-well- with-others team player, reliable, resilient, trustworthy, a can-do spirit and go-to soul.
EXPERIENCE

NED (NASA/IPAC EXTRAGALACTIC DATABASE), TEAM MEMBER, AND, NED-D (NED EXTRAGALACTIC DATABASE OF DISTANCES), CURATOR

2006 – Present

  • Co-compiling world’s largest database of distances for galaxies beyond the Milky Way.
  • Honored to work in collaboration with Dr. Barry F. Madore, founder of NED and former co-leader of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on galaxy distances.

WRITER AND PHOTOJOURNALIST, FREELANCE

1999 – PRESENT

Achievements include frequent and high level citation of articles on global security and nuclear issues in prestigious publications, such as:

  • Jane’s Information Group, including a Jane’s Defence Weekly cover story.
  • See examples among hundred of hits and growing by Google searching key words “Ian Steer”.
  • Credits include Scientific American, Popular Mechanics, and other magazines, and contributions to Canada’s major newspapers, including the Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, Ottawa Citizen, Hamilton Spectator and others.
  • Numerous news television and radio appearances, including on CTV, CITY-TV, CHCH-TV, BBC radio, CBC Radio, Mix 99.9 FM, and others.

COMPUTERS, MACS AND PCS, SALES AND INSTALLATION

1995-1998

  • MicroWarehouse Canada, Toronto HQ, during 1999 in charge of Corporate Client Reactivations.
  • Advanced Computer Systems, Hamilton, ON., from 1995-1998, helped launch IBM speech recognition in southern Ontario, with appearances at Canada’s largest computer show, Comdex in 1995, as well as in newspaper and news television coverage; increased annual sales over three years from a few hundred thousand dollars to over a million.

PHOTOJOURNALIST, FREELANCE

1989-1994

  • First aerial view at night published of Toronto, taken for the Ontario Special Olympics fundraising poster, 1988.
  • Official aerial night views for Toronto’s SkyDome Opening Celebration, Opening Game, and All-Star Game, in 1989 and 1991 respectively.
  • Dozens of postcards with Canada’s and allegedly world’s largest manufacturer of postcards, The PostCard Factory, of Toronto.
  • Writer has images on display at the Museum of Science & Technology in Ottawa, held in the Toronto City Hall archives, and many appearances in books, on covers, and in newspapers and magazines.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS, KEY TELEPHONE SYSTEMS, SALES AND INSTALLATION

1975-1988

  • CTG (Canadian Telecommunications Group, later British Telecom, Canada), Toronto HQ, 1986-1988, was top 3 of 100 in sales of key telephone systems, hurtled into achievers club of quota busters, placed in charge of government tenders and on many occasion entrusted with instructing and mentoring new, equally successful sales representatives.
  • Pitney Bowes Dictaphone, Toronto HQ, 1985, and their dealer, the Telephone Clinic, Toronto, 1983-1984, one of Canada’s first independent, non-Bell, telephone providers, in sales of telephone answering and voice recording systems.
  • WTT Communications, Toronto, 1974-1982, in sales and installation of key telephone systems, with zero defects.
ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

ASTRONOMY ADVOCACY:

  • American Astronomical Society member and attendee of AAS annual meetings since 2011, including as NED staff and some to present talks.
  • Royal Astronomical Society of Canada member and regular attendee and occasional speaker at meetings since 2010.
  • First paper, “New Facts from the first galaxy distance estimates,” Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 105, 18-19 (2011).
  • Winner of the 2012 Ostrander-Ramsay Award for Astronomical Writing by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Toronto Centre.
  • Hubble Tuning Fork Shown to Scale Using NED-D, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 105, back cover (2011)
  • Galaxies: Brightest and Nearest, by Barry F. Madore and Ian Steer, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Observers Handbook (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015).
  • Public speaking, including talks for the American Astronomical Society, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and the Idea Club hosted by Doug Miller.
  • Several YouTube videos, see: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3EG9VBKau8OzJPjhL-W5rA

AVIATION ADVOCACY:

  • Articles written, photos published, and appearances made in Canadian newspapers, in television news coverage within Canada, and in Canadian and international aviation magazines, including Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  • Authored user manual for then most sophisticated PC-based F-16C fighter jet flight simulator, Back to Baghdad, 1995, by Military Simulations Inc., 80 pages.
  • Authored and produced Hamilton Airshow program, 1992, 60 pages.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS ADVOCACY:

  • Former president and member of Toronto chapter of Canada’s Association of Competitive Telecommunications Suppliers (ACTS), 1985-1988.
  • Wrote ACTS letter of industry support published by telco Bell Canada to help launch first new 905 area code in Toronto since original area code 416.
  • Co-wrote and established ACTS industry Code of Ethics.