Matthew F. Reyes

Performer Profile

• Gender: Male
• Height: 5 feet 8 in
• Weight: 185 lbs
• Age Range: 25 - 35
• Physique: Average
• Hair Color: Brown
• Hair Length: Short
• Eyes: Brown
• Ethnicity: Latin/Hispanic, Caucasian

Performer Skills

• Performance Skills: Microgravity Acrobatics, Whistling, Motorcyclist, Stunts, Diving
• Athletic Skills: Snowboarding, Cycling, Swimming, Rollerblading, Bowling
• Accents: Southern, Spanish, Puerto Rican
• Musical Instruments: Percussion, Bass Guitar, Drums
• Dance: Hip Hop, Club/Freestyle

Education

• University of Florida, Bachelors of Science, Gainesville, Florida, 1999
  
• University of Florida, Masters of Science, Gainesville, Florida, 2008
  To be completed by Fall 2010.

Employment Details

• Work History: Microgravity Flight Specialist, Television, Commercial, Internet
• Job Categories: Stunts, Production, Set Operation, Visual Effects, Cinematography, Editing
• Are you willing to work unpaid?: Yes
• Authorized to work in United States: Yes
• Primary Citizenship: United States
• Valid Passport: Yes
• Prior Job Title 1: Chief Project Manager, Videographer Exploration Solutions
• Prior Job Title 2: Director of Technical Operations, Zero Gravity Corporation
• Prior Job Title 3: Associate Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center

Biography

A molecular biologist by training, Matthew first experienced weightless flight by conducting plant research experiments aboard the NASA parabolic flight aircraft, the KC-135. Originally intending to work as a biologist with the NASA space program, Matthew instead turned to a commercial space enterprise and became the Director of Technical Operations for the Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G).

As Director of Technical Operations and frequent Flight Specialist for ZERO-G, Matthew's parabolic flight experience made him the ideal individual to manage and assist not only researchers in the microgravity environment, but also a new category of fliers: filmmakers and videographers. His leadership during countless film and video missions helped insure successful filming of a variety of productions including television commercials (Lenovo, Mastercard, the Northrop Grumman Foundation), television programs (NBC's "Three Wishes" and "Today," E's "Dr. 90210," the Discovery Channel's "Mythbusters"), news programs on all major networks and affiliates, and the major motion picture Sunshine.

Over time, Matthew has increasingly recognized the direct correlations between research, educational outreach, and the multimedia possibilities for expanding audiences for research and educational initiatives. Among his own recent educational outreach and research projects are a summer 2007 mission to a NASA research station in the Canadian High Arctic where, along with veteran Astronaut Leroy Chiao and web journalist Keith Cowling, Matthew hosted live webcasts for children at several Challenger Learning Centers throughout the United States. And, during 2006 and 2007, Matthew also helped direct the flight portion of the "Weightless Flights of Discovery," a program sponsored by the Northrop Grumman Foundation that aims to fly several hundred teachers a year aboard microgravity flights so that they can share their experiences in the classroom. Matthew has worked directly with a video production team to record the Northrop Grumman-sponsored teachers in microgravity along side production crews from the Space Sciences Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

Intent on breaking new ground by intersecting education and public outreach with video & web enabled multimedia, in October of 2007 he founded Exploration Solutions, Inc., a multimedia PR firm for educators and researchers desiring to convey to the public the excitement of their education and research projects. His company provides teachers and researchers with solutions and ideas to edcucate today's students for tomorrow's needs in an increasingly connected, multicultural world . Matthew closed out 2007 with his first Exploration Solutions video contract, one that took him to mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands.