Neal Hartman, a mechanical engineer from the University of California at Berkeley, has had an illustrious career in science and art outreach that spans over 18 years. During this time, he has worked with CERN, the European Laboratory for High Energy Physics, and co-founded CineGlobe, the International Film Festival at CERN, which showcases films inspired by science and technology. Neal has also been actively involved in TEDxCERN and TED Global>Geneva, and has worked as the Chairman of the World VR Forum, working on various virtual reality events.

He continued to build his expertise by conducting research into virtual reality at the Swiss Polytechnic University in Lausanne (EPFL), where he studied for his PhD in virtual reality. Furthermore, he is a founding member of the Foundation Board for the Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) and has degrees in both engineering and film directing, indicating that he is equally passionate about both art and science. He served as the director of Science Gallery Venice, the Italian node of the international Science Gallery Network between 2020 and 2021.

Overall, with his engineering and film background, Neal has experience working in various settings including scientific research, film production, and virtual reality. His interests and skills lie at the intersection of science and art, and he is known for being an advocate for science communication and outreach.