Chris Torrence is currently a senior engineer at NV5 Geospatial, where he leads a team of engineers working on IDL, the Interactive Data Language, which is an image processing and scientific visualization package used by NASA and major universities. Chris has also been a part-time instructor at a charter middle school where he taught STEM classes in programming, engineering, and creative design. He has also been involved in the development of the MakerPort, which is a single-board computer use to connect LED lights, music, and servos to school, craft and holiday projects.

Chris first became interested in astronomy and SETI through watching Carl Sagan's Cosmos TV series on PBS in 1980. This led to a lifelong fascination with all things astronomy and astrophysics. It also took him to Cornell University, where he majored in physics with a concentration in astronomy. He was never able to take a class with Carl Sagan, although he did have the distinction of being in line with Carl for donuts at one of the astronomy department’s seminars. From Cornell, Chris then headed to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he earned a PhD in Physics. His thesis focused on using wavelet analysis to determine decadal variability of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation in the Pacific Ocean.

Chris has an active YouTube channel that focuses on retro computers. He serves as a board member of KansasFest, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to the history and preservation of the Apple II computer. He is also one of the creators of Nox Archaist, a new computer role-playing game for the Apple II. Chris is the author of Apple2TS, a web-based Apple II emulator written in TypeScript.

Through his involvement in the SETI Institute, Chris hopes to bring some of the wonder and excitement of SETI to a wider audience. Chris lives in Louisville, Colorado with his wife and two daughters.