Guests of Honor


Via Bella Music Guests of Honor (Bandcamp) (HearNow) (Patreon) (Facebook) (Twitter) (Instagram) Via Bella (aka Erin and Rand Bellavia) are a nerd rock band from Buffalo, NY. Their songs address many fandoms, including Agent/Peggy/Captain Carter, A Wrinkle in Time, Mr. Rogers, the October Daye books, Sesame Street, and the Princess Bride. Their debut album The Way of Beauty was released in 2018. In January 2023, Erin was the Toastmistress at GAFilk. She has been nominated for 7 Pegasus Awards, including a 2021 nomination with Merav Hoffman and Seanan McGuire for the Via Bella song “Dear Seanan.” In 2022, she took on the role of co-conchair for FilKONtario. Rand’s other band Ookla the Mok were the Music Guest of Honor at FenCon in 2014. Rand co-wrote the theme song to Disney’s Fillmore, and (True Story) his voice is the first thing you hear on Gym Class Heroes’ Billboard top five hit “Cupid’s Chokehold.” Rand released a solo album (The Tips of My Fingers) in 2021 and a Bandcamp exclusive EP in 2022. He has twice had the most requested song of the year on Dr. Demento, won the Logan Award for Best Original Comedy song in 2014, and has been nominated for 23 Pegasus Awards, winning 4. Rand plays guitar. They both sing. Erin’s been known to wear a costume or two. Come see what all the fuss is about. (Psst! Wanna share this bio on social media? Go here.)
Dr. Jancy McPhee Science Guest of Honor (SciArt Exchange) Dr. Jancy McPhee is a neuroscientist and the Founder and Executive Director of SciArt Exchange. She currently works as the Multidisciplinary Program Scientist in the NASA Human Research Program's Chief Scientist's Office. She is The SciArt Exchange's mission to engage people around the intersection of science and art. She became a neuroscientist to examine the science behind these human capabilities. Formally, Dr. McPhee has a B.A. in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Brandeis University. She was a cellular and molecular neuroscience researcher in academia for 17 years before joining the National Space Biomedical Research Association and later the Universities Space Research Association to manage various aspects of NASA’s domestic and international space life sciences research programs. Since 2010, she has been implementing motivating and novel ways to enhance space education and science and technology innovation and to promote global collaboration in human space exploration. She created the international Humans in Space Art Program and has been working to establish SciArt Exchange. Learn more about Dr. McPhee on her episode of the Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria Podcast episode. (Psst! Wanna share this bio on social media? Go here.)

Via Bella

Music Guests of Honor

(Bandcamp) (HearNow) (Patreon) (Facebook) (Twitter) (Instagram) Via Bella (aka Erin and Rand Bellavia) are a nerd rock band from Buffalo, NY. Their songs address many fandoms, including Agent/Peggy/Captain Carter, A Wrinkle in Time, Mr. Rogers, the October Daye books, Sesame Street, and the Princess Bride. Their debut album The Way of Beauty was released in 2018.

In January 2023, Erin was the Toastmistress at GAFilk. She has been nominated for 7 Pegasus Awards, including a 2021 nomination with Merav Hoffman and Seanan McGuire for the Via Bella song “Dear Seanan.” In 2022, she took on the role of co-conchair for FilKONtario.

Rand’s other band Ookla the Mok were the Music Guest of Honor at FenCon in 2014. Rand co-wrote the theme song to Disney’s Fillmore, and (True Story) his voice is the first thing you hear on Gym Class Heroes’ Billboard top five hit “Cupid’s Chokehold.” Rand released a solo album (The Tips of My Fingers) in 2021 and a Bandcamp exclusive EP in 2022. He has twice had the most requested song of the year on Dr. Demento, won the Logan Award for Best Original Comedy song in 2014, and has been nominated for 23 Pegasus Awards, winning 4.

Rand plays guitar. They both sing. Erin’s been known to wear a costume or two. Come see what all the fuss is about.

(Psst! Wanna share this bio on social media? Go here.)

Dr. Jancy McPhee

Science Guest of Honor

(SciArt Exchange) Dr. Jancy McPhee is a neuroscientist and the Founder and Executive Director of SciArt Exchange. She currently works as the Multidisciplinary Program Scientist in the NASA Human Research Program's Chief Scientist's Office. She is The SciArt Exchange's mission to engage people around the intersection of science and art.

She became a neuroscientist to examine the science behind these human capabilities. Formally, Dr. McPhee has a B.A. in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Brandeis University. She was a cellular and molecular neuroscience researcher in academia for 17 years before joining the National Space Biomedical Research Association and later the Universities Space Research Association to manage various aspects of NASA’s domestic and international space life sciences research programs. Since 2010, she has been implementing motivating and novel ways to enhance space education and science and technology innovation and to promote global collaboration in human space exploration. She created the international Humans in Space Art Program and has been working to establish SciArt Exchange.

Learn more about Dr. McPhee on her episode of the Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria Podcast episode.

(Psst! Wanna share this bio on social media? Go here.)

Program Participants

If you are interested in being a participant this year, please read our program participant guidelines before contacting us. We hope it will answer most of your questions. Thanks.

A Fan-Operated Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary and Filk Convention in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area

February 23-25, 2024 * Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Dallas Near the Galleria, 4099 Valley View Lane, Dallas

Guests of Honor

Program Participants