Dr. Kramer earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, master’s in environmental policy, and doctorate in political science focusing on outer space policy and futures studies. Most of his career was as a wildlife biologist with the Smithsonian Institution and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, where he spent two decades working on endangered species issues in Hawaii and the Pacific region, including Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, the Marianas, and Yap. He retired as head of the US Endangered Species Recovery Program.

Subsequently, William assisted the US Navy for 12 years as a senior environmental scientist, advising on a range of issues in Hawaii and Pacific rim areas including Japan, Korea, and the Indian Ocean. He taught bioethics and biology at Hawaii Pacific University and worked at HDR, Inc. as their extraterrestrial environmental analyst. His experiences include Mission Commander at the Mars Desert Research Station and ground support for the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

William continues to publish, lecture, and lead workshops on outer space exploration and development issues at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France, and other locations (his video is of a lecture to an audience from 30 different nations on Space and the Arts at the University’s 2023 program in Brazil). He is an advisor to the Georgetown University Space Initiative in Washington, D.C. and is on the Scientific Council of the Alternative Planetary Futures Institute.

LOOKING FOR LIFE IN ALL THE STRANGE PLACES - How new discoveries about Earth’s life guide our search for ET in the solar system and beyond.
We’re discovering new species here on Earth thriving in environments we thought impossible just a few years ago -- Life cozy at temperatures well above the boiling point of water -- Organisms relaxing in hot acid baths -- Flourishing inside nuclear reactors -- From the crushing pressures below the deepest ocean floors to those living in the near vacuum of space -- And even animals that ride peacefully on the outside of the International Space Station. What clues can they share to aid us in the search for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System and the galaxy?

IS THERE LIFE BEYOND EARTH? - How are we looking for it… and should we?
Since the 1890s the scientific search for extraterrestrial life has fired our curiosity and imaginations. How have we looked for ET over the past century and what is planned for future explorations? How will we react if we do discover alien life, and should we be hunting for something that we may not want to meet? Physicist Stephen Hawking warned that our search could doom us all, yet the quest goes on. This presentation may change your mind about that search.

CREATING HOMO SPACE-IANS – A Few Possible Futures of Humans in the Universe.
How might humans adapt to living on the Moon, Mars, or floating in massive structures somewhere in outer space? We are already changing from the species we’ve known and loved for a few hundred thousand years into something entirely new. Many of us are already cyborgs, a combination of human and machine, and how might genetic engineering allow us to meet our future need to adapt to off-Earth environments? Let’s meet some of those future humans and peek at who they are and what they will be doing to live long and prosper.

THE OVERVIEW EFFECT – Returning from space with new perspectives about Earth and our place in the Universe.
Viewing Earth from space quickly changed Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell’s philosophy about the Earth and the people who live here. He discovered that this “Overview Effect” was shared by many other astronauts who returned to Earth with similar changes in their spiritual and other perspectives about the planet, its life, and our place in the Universe. What were they experiencing to bring about this transformation? Can those of us who have not gone to space share the Overview Effect…. by ocean cruising? Absolutely!

OPERATION MOONGLOW – The back-story of the political intrigue that demanded the Apollo mission.
We’ve all seen the images of Neil Armstrong’s footprint on the Moon and the US flag he and Buzz Aldrin planted there in 1969, but what political decisions made that not only possible but critical to world politics and the balance of power at the height of the US-USSR Cold War? Was it worth the enormous financial cost to the American public? This presentation describes the story of strategies for political survival -- who demanded the space program and who argued against it, and the reaction of the World to its success.

WHO STOLE THE NIGHT SKY? The “Dark Skies” movement and why seeing the stars matters.
On a perfectly clear night we can see thousands of stars…but only if it’s dark. Today, with millions of lights that turn night into day along highways, at stadiums, shopping centers, and in back yards, most of us in urban areas are lucky if we can see the Moon plus a few dozen stars and a planet or two! But there are communities working to make the night sky dark again. The presentation talks about who they are, where they are, what they are doing to reverse the trend, and why they believe it deeply matters that to see the heavens is a part of being human that is quickly being lost.

FROM CHINESE KITES TO MUSK ON MARS – A brief history of the three thousand years of aviation that made space flight possible.
What were the most significant achievements and personalities in the history of flight that allowed us to fly to the Moon and beyond? Why did the US enter the First World War with only 6 aircraft, while France had over 150? Why did the German V-2 rocket create such fear during the Second World War and how did the US and USSR race to grab that technology in 1945? Why were private “rocket clubs” critical to the birth of the Space Age? Even Walt Disney plays a significant role in this surprising drama!

CULTURE AND SPACE EXPLORATION
What does culture have to do with space exploration? EVERYTHING! What we do in space is a product of culture -- what we fund and don’t fund, where we go and how we get there are all determined by it. Starting with how we have looked at the stars over the past thousands of years, this presentation highlights a neglected perspective on how space programs rely on culture to reach their off-Earth goals and how individual space-faring nation’s frame their ambitions in cultural terms. What about the corporate cultures of Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin commercial space programs? And how did a Russian’s dreams of resurrecting all the dead on Earth plant the seeds of the Soviet space program’s culture of going to the heavens?

WHAT'S ART GOT TO DO WITH IT? – How the arts shape our exploration of the Universe (and how that exploration influences the arts).
The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado had the biggest tail fins of any production automobile. Why that specific year? It was the Space Age! Who were the prominent artists that created the outer space images that we’ve seen on everything from book covers to the design of kitchen appliances? Why do the sci-fi movies of the 1960s portray Mars the way they do? What does propaganda art tell us about a nation’s motives in space? And how do music, poetry, and other arts help us to imagine what space is like? This presentation explores the art that both shapes our exploration of space and guides our expectations of futures on Mars and beyond.

BITTEN BY AN ASTRONAUT -- Ham, Laika, and other animal superstars of space exploration.
A brief history of the use of animals in space exploration. Who were they and what was their fate?

LOST IN SPACE – SIMULATIONS OF LIVING AND WORKING IN OUTER SPACE.
There have been dozens of experiments attempting to duplicate the environment of living and working in outer space. Some have been successful, others not. But all have added to our knowledge of the physical and psychological challenges of working in alien environments.

STRANGE NEW WORLDS – PLANS FOR CREATING NEW EARTH'S OUT OF OTHER PLANETS.
Terraforming (modifying planets such as Mars to make them more habitable for humans) has been proposed for decades. Now, some planners are getting serious about it. Can it be done? How would it be done? Should it be done?

STRANGE NEW WORDS – THE POWER OF LANGUAGE IN SHAPING SPACE EXPLORATION
The words we use to describe other people, organisms, and environments shape the way we relate to them and the way we treat them. Words used to describe outer space have the same effect on human behavior. How do we describe outer space?

IT’S ALIVE! -- THE TRICKY BUSINESS OF DEFINING WHAT IS ALIVE...AND WHAT ISN'T.
There is no one definition of life, and it changes with cultures, histories, and the advances of science. What does it really mean to be alive? What are the implications of those definitions?

MANAGING AN ULTIMATE FRONTIER -- THE BIRTH OF THE ANTARCTIC TREATY SYSTEM AND LESSONS FOR GOVERNING OUTER SPACE.
Antarctica is a true global commons, and during the 1940s and 50s it was feared that it would become a Cold War battleground. The Antarctic Treaty System was developed to prevent that, and it has been amazingly effective. The System also provides a model for how we might go about governing other, even more remote, commons, such as the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

PROTECTING EXTRATERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS -- HOW MIGHT WE AVOID ADVERSELY AFFECTING EXTRATERRESTRIAL WORLDS?
We have all witnessed the harms done by past decades of environmental abuse here on Earth, and most know of the kinds of measures we have taken to limit the damage done. Will we do the same kinds of damage to extraterrestrial environments as we plan for long-term human settlements, mining, and a range of other activities? Currently, there are few restrictions on how we use those areas and the impacts we will have. What can be done to limit extraterrestrial environmental harm?

SAVE THE MARTIAN MICROBE! -- THE ROLE OF BIOETHICS IN THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE.
We are actively looking for life on Mars and elsewhere in the Solar System, but what will be our ethical relationship with that life should we discover it? Thinking about the ethical aspects of our first encounter with alien life is critical to how we go about our search for ET.

WEIRD AND INGENIOUS WAYS PLANTS AND ANIMALS ADAPT TO THEIR ENVIRONMENTS
Animals and plants have evolved some incredible ways to adapt to harsh environments. This presentation provides some fascinating examples.