Program archives

Mr. Hey's presentation focused on how the Strategic Defense Initiative accelerated the end of the Cold War superpower confrontation with references to activities of the New Mexico Department of Energy and Air Force laboratories and the psychological, sociological, and political nuances inherent in international relations.

Mr. Hey is a media relations professional and writer who specializes in all aspects of science and technology and their applications in commerce. A native of England, now a resident in New Mexico, he sold his first story to the BBC at the age of 11. After an early journalistic career in Britain, the U.S. and Bermuda, Mr. Hey joined Sandia National Laboratories in the U.S. as a public relations officer and science/technology writer, and was a Sandia senior administrator (internal consultant) at the time of his retirement in October 2001. His writings include four published books, several reference works, and hundreds of articles in publications ranging from Smithsonian to the Sunday Times.

His books include three out-of-print popular science titles, plus Solar System (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2002), and The Star Wars Enigma (Potomac Books, July 2006). He was a contributing author for The Science Book (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2001) and The McGraw-Hill Homeland Security Handbook (2005). Robert C. McFarlane, national security advisor to President Reagan (1983-1985), calls The Star Wars Enigma "the most rigorous scholarship yet to appear on this climatic period of history."

Mr. Hey also produced and ran local radio and TV shows, served as an information officer for the launch of the Project Galileo spacecraft, and played Shakespearean roles in local theatre. He currently lives in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico and continues a personal business as public relations practitioner, media consultant, and writer.