Chair, SETI Forward. Technical Manager, CalSTRS.
Member of the SETI Institute Council of Advisors.
Founder of SETI Forward.
Lew Levy worked with the SETI Institute to initiate the SETI Forward Endowed Fund, established to encourage and support undergraduates entering the SETI and astrobiology fields. Lew also initiated an annual UC Berkeley SETI Scholarship award to provide undergraduate SETI interns the opportunity to present their work at astronomy conferences. He is a long-term supporter of the University of California Berkeley’s SETI Research Center, which sustains his avid obsession for space science.
Lew is a long-standing member of The Planetary Society, which promotes citizen interest and participation in multiple aspects of space science. Lew’s interest in SETI is his desire for an answer to the question of “Are we alone?”. Lew’s greatest desire is to discover biology outside the Earth’s biosphere in his lifetime and to enable the ongoing search for life, especially technological life, outside the Earth.
Lew was born and raised in Baltimore. His Earth-focused passions include skiing, hiking, baseball (Go Orioles!), and volunteering at the American Red Cross. Lew earned his BS in Information Technology and Accounting from the University of Baltimore. Lew’s career in software development has spanned 40-years crossing multiple disciplines and industries.
Lew is currently the lead technical manager for one of the largest projects in California state history – the replacement of mainframe technology with a web server solution for the California State Teachers Retirement System. Throughout his career, he has authored technical articles and led various technical special interest groups. Being an avid Star Trek fan and a career technologist makes Lew a natural SETI supporter and patron.