Frank Sparks, M.D., will speak on “How the Great Pyramid Was Really Built (It’s Not Like You Think).” His talk will debunk the popularly held belief promoted by egyptologists that the Great Pyramid was made from perfectly quarried 2.5-ton limestone blocks that were then lifted to the top of the pyramid and became the tallest building in the world upon its completion 4,800 years ago. In the past 30 years, electron microscopy has shown that the pyramid “stones” are manmade blocks of limestone in the form of a polymer that contain chemicals not found in any of the limestone in the world. What actually happened was that the Nile-flooded limestone was easily raked apart; it was carried up to the pyramid in baskets where chemicals were added; and the contents were dumped into molds that then set within 24 hours. Professor Hobbs of MIT says this has been repeated worldwide, making this approach a fact, not a theory. Dr. Sparks is a resident of New Canaan, where he lives in retirement with his wife Michelle. They have six daughters and 10 grandchildren. He received a B.S. and M.D. from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Connecticut. He was a surgeon at the National Cancer Institute and also at NYU, UCLA and UConn, where he was both a surgeon and professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery. He has authored 79 peer-reviewed papers and more than 100 abstracts and has received $1.6 million in research grants. His background in chemistry and physics led to his interest in how the Great Pyramid was built.

Arranged by Sunil Saksena

Video of talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocp4P9wFNi8

Aleksandr Troyb will discuss the commonly held myths regarding immigration rules as they exist today. His talk will draw on his experience as a practicing immigration attorney advising individuals, as well as corporations, with their immigration issues. He also will discuss aspects of the “Gang of 8”immigration bill, which passed the Senate on a bipartisan basis a few years ago but never was taken up by the House, as well as the outlines of the immigration proposals being discussed by the Trump administration. Alex is an attorney practicing with the law firm of Benjamin, Gold & Troyb, P.C. in Stamford, where he advises clients on various aspects of immigration law and regulations. He is licensed to practice in Connecticut and New York courts, as well as the Federal District Court for the District of Connecticut. Alex serves as a committee co-chair of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, where he previously served as the chapter chair and member of the National Board of Governors. In addition, Alex serves as treasurer on the Executive Committee of the Fairfield County Bar Association, where he also serves as a committee co-chair.

Arranged by Sunil Saksena

Speaker video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcP51roJwHg

David McKillop will talk about “Ten Pillars of Programming.” It’s a personal look as to how nonfiction TV shows, such as reality series and documentaries, are developed inside a network. It includes insights into how to develop, nurture and grow creative teams within a traditional corporate environment. David is a seasoned American producer who has developed and delivered popular cable hits on three networks: A&E, History and Discovery. David most recently served as chief creative officer and partner of Propagate, a multiplatform production company funded by A&E Network. Prior to this, he was general manager of A&E Network, where he was instrumental in the development and production of the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning feature documentary “Cartel Land,” cable’s most-watched nonfiction series of all time “Duck Dynasty” and the record-breaking hit series “Storage Wars.” Earlier in his career, he was vice president of production for Discovery Channel and then senior vice president at the History channel. His credits include the Emmy award-winning documentaries “Gettysburg” and “102 Minutes that Changed America.”

Arranged by Sunil Saksena

Speaker video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPnuSWrC_8A

James von Klemperer will focus on architectural design and other factors associated with the creation and construction of super tall buildings, including the 435-meter skyscraper currently being erected at One Vanderbilt Place next door to Grand Central Station. James serves as the president and design principal of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, PC. He has been responsible for the design of major commissions throughout North America, Europe and Asia. James has lectured at Harvard University, Columbia University, Miami University, Smith College and Ecole Speciale d’Architecture in Paris, as well as at congresses in Jakarta, Seoul and Mexico. He served on the Zoning Board of Appeals in Darien from 1996 to 2003. He is an active member of ULI, as well as the Institute for Urban Design. His work abroad includes the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Nicosia; Dongbu Financial Center, winner of an Honor Award from the AIA New York City Chapter; and 30 Hill Street in Singapore on the site of the former U.S. embassy. James is working on New Songdo City, a 1,500-acre free trade zone in Korea. His work in the United States includes the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York City, which was the recipient of the 1996 General Services Administration Design Award; the Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C., winner of an Honor Award from the Washington, D.C., Chapter of the AIA; 640 Fifth Avenue, winner of a New York construction newsletter: “Best of 2004 Renovation Award of Merit”; and the award-winning Mohegan Sun Resort hotel, casino and arena in northern Connecticut. James received a B.A. from Harvard University, a master of architecture from Trinity College, Cambridge and a master of architecture from Princeton University.

Arranged by Tom Haack

Speaker video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMsFNBkDZ4

Jeff Brameier’s talk is entitled “The Importance of Athletics in High School.” Athletics have been a mainstay of the high school scene for decades. Today, the field has vastly expanded, giving an ever greater variety of competitive options to both male and female students. While students get involved in high school athletics for the sheer love of the game, there are significant benefits from these extracurricular activities. The discussion will focus on the experiences Jeff has drawn on from his 40+ years of coaching at Darien High School. He was raised in Darien. He heads into his 36th season at the helm of Darien High School boys lacrosse program, where he has guided his teams to a win-loss record of 594-133 (.818), winning 17 FCIAC League Championships, 13 State Championships, including six in a row from 2005-2010. His team was ranked #1 public school in the country in 2014 and 2017. He has coached 91 high school All-Americans, 175 High School All-State players, 14 Connecticut Players of the Year and has been named Connecticut Lacrosse Coach of the Year five times. He was National Coach of the Year in 2014 and was inducted into the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2011. He has been president of the Connecticut High School Lacrosse Coaches Association for the last 31 years. In the past, he also has coached the Darien High School football and swim teams.

Arranged by Sunil Saksena

Speaker video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5enNSJfK6Q

Richard Frisch will speak on “From Grunts to Tweets, the History of Human Communication.” He will discuss why speech arose and why Homo sapiens is the only species to develop language. His talk will focus on four topics: development of spoken language, development of written language, electric/electronic communication, and neural communication in the present and future. Richard has been entertaining and informing groups about technology topics for over a decade. Recent presentations have been “Is Privacy Dead?” “The History of Recorded Sound,” and “How Big Data, Neuroscience and Psychology Are Used to Manipulate Us.” Richard runs RHFtech, providing technology guidance and support to small businesses. He was an executive in the financial services sector for 30 years. He has a B.S. in physical anthropology from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University. He and his wife Marianne and have lived in Weston for more than three decades. They have one daughter, an attorney who works for the Department of Justice.

Arranged by Andre Guilbert

Speaker video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww-R7Gj4Y7U