InterSTELA Presenter Bios

AstroFest brings together a stellar lineup of speakers, educators, and astronomy enthusiasts for three days of cosmic exploration and discovery. From beginner-friendly sky tours to deep dives into astrophotography and cutting-edge research, our presenters offer something for every level of stargazer. Meet the passionate minds behind the telescopes — each one bringing their own unique perspective to help you connect with the universe above.

Kerry-Ann Lecky-Hepburn

Kerry-Ann is a senior meteorologist for a 24-hr TV station in Canada and lives in the Niagara Region with her husband and two daughters. In her spare time, she flies small airplanes and volunteers for the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association. Driven by her lifelong passion for astronomy and photography, she dedicates considerable time to capturing deep sky and Milky Way nightscape images. Her work has won awards and has been featured in books, calendars, magazines, and online platforms like NASA APOD. She loves sharing her knowledge through social media, international workshops and photo tours.

http://www.weatherandsky.com

http://www.instagram.com/weatherandsky

@weatherandsky on all social media

TAMMY FOLEY

Tammy is a lifelong resident of Norfolk County and owner of Ivey Observatory. She is a wife and mom of two children with an immense love for her community and dark skies. She has a background in various fields of healthcare and enjoys photographing nature and all things space in her spare time. Her work has been published and featured within the Astronomy community. Her main interests are capturing the Milky Way and deep space objects. You will often find her sharing her work, her night sky advocacy, and life experiences on her social media.

@wildlilstargazer on social media

ASHLEY NORTHCOTTE

Ashley Northcotte is an astrophotographer, dark sky advocate, and science communicator passionate about helping others connect with the night sky. With degrees in geography and education, Ashley contributes to the approachable, beginner-friendly content created by the team at AstroBackyard—a popular and trusted platform for aspiring astrophotographers. She helps break down complex topics to make astrophotography accessible to anyone with curiosity and a camera.

As a Delegate and Advocate with DarkSky International, Ashley leads initiatives that raise awareness about the environmental and human health impacts of light pollution. She also leads DarkSky Camping, a global effort to educate campers, manufacturers, and parks about responsible outdoor lighting and preserving our shared night sky. Whether she’s under the stars in her teardrop trailer or speaking at international events, Ashley is driven to inspire a deeper connection to the cosmos and promote the meaningful action needed to protect the dark.

@nightsky_ash on social media

DR. Parshati PATEL

Dr. Parshati Patel is an astrophysicist turned science communicator, author, space artist, and astrophotographer based in London, Ontario.

She holds an Honors B.Sc. in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Toronto, and both an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Astronomy and Planetary Science & Exploration from Western University. For over a decade, she has dedicated her career to inspiring curiosity about space with diverse audiences, especially among youth and educators. Dr. Patel has spearheaded award-winning space outreach initiatives and organized hundreds of public engagement events and workshops. She is a sought-after speaker and frequently contributes to local, national and international media outlets such as CBC, CTV, and Global News in English, Hindi, and Gujarati. She authored a children’s book titled ‘My Books of Stars and Planets’ with DK Publishing. Dr. Patel uses her creative side to foster wonder about our surroundings in her spare time through her space-themed paintings and astrophotography.

Website: parshatipatel.com

@parshatipatel on all social media platforms

ANDREA GIRONES

Andrea is an award-winning Astrophotographer whose images have gained recognition worldwide. Her images have appeared on the covers of the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and on the cover of the 2024 edition of the popular RASC calendar.

She is often an invited speaker to astronomical conventions and presents to astronomical societies and other organizations on solar imaging, a particular fascination for her. Recently she was invited to present on the well-known Astro-Imaging channel.

She is a two-time recipient of the Paul Commission Observer of the Year award, the Rolf Meir Planetary Imager of the Year, of the Ottawa RASC center, Her awards include a WITNS selection from the late Alyn Wallace, the Williamina Fleming award from the Astronomical League. and the 2023 “Imager of the Year” award at the NYAA annual Starfest event. She sits on various national committees for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and is a judge of this year’s prestigious Starfest competition.

Her work is on Instagram, Astrobin, and Flickr. She shares many of her time-lapses on YouTube as well. Andrea lives and images from Ottawa Ontario Canada and continues to refine both her art and her technical work in astrophotography.

@andrea_girones on social media

KATELYN BEECROFT

Katelyn has been an amateur astronomer for over 20 years and has recently moved her focus to astrophotography. She has had some of her images featured in Astronomy magazine, the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), the 2024 and 2025 editions of The Night Sky Almanac, as well as the Observers Calendar put out by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Katelyn takes her love of Astronomy into her day job as a high school science teacher where she teaches in an integrated STEM program as well as teaching senior Chemistry and Earth and Space Science.

@kates.universe on social media

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVENT? TRY Contacting Us

Use the various methods below to get ahold of us if you have an event question or inquiry. We will get back to you with 1-2 business days!

1730 Front Rd.
St. Williams ON
N0E 1P0

877-743-8687
info@lpfun.ca