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Scott Lee is a professional genealogist, retired software engineering consultant, and technical trainer who has researched his family history since 1979. He combines lifelong interests in genealogy and technology to help researchers understand and apply modern tools through his Genealogy Tech Talks presentations.

In the 1980s, Scott Lee led the international technical training program at the Fortune 500 firm Tektronix, training new hires from around the world on computer graphics hardware, peripherals, and all supporting software packages. Later, he launched a career as a software engineering consultant, where he continued to deliver in-depth training to Fortune 500 clients. These experiences sharpened his ability to make complex technologies clear and approachable, a hallmark of his Genealogy Tech Talks today.

In the mid-1990s, Scott worked with the LDS Church to develop the GEDCOM 5.5 standard for exchanging genealogical data between software programs. He authored the chapter defining the syntax, making the specification provably unambiguous and easier for software to interpret. His work corrected long-standing issues in date representation and helped standardize data exchange across genealogical applications.

Scott’s interest in ancient calendars led him to create RosettaCalendar.com, a tool used by historians and genealogists to convert among ancient and modern calendar systems. His open-source date-manipulation library, sdncal20, powers date and calendar functions in more than half of all websites worldwide.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Scott’s career took him to Indiana, Oregon, North Carolina, and New York City before he and his wife, Deirdre, returned home in retirement. Today, he develops software for genealogical applications, explores deep-learning neural networks, and lectures on genealogy and technology. In his spare time, he writes science fiction, follows the latest developments in astrophysics, studies ancient calendars, develops open-source software, and—true to his roots—continues to explore his own family history.

Technology topics

Artificial Intelligence and Genealogy -- This presentation provides an overview of how artificial intelligence is currently utilized in genealogy, as well as some emerging technologies and possibilities for the future. It also includes a high-level explanation of artificial intelligence, accompanied by simple diagrams and examples.

Calendar Confusion!? -- Why was Thursday, October 4, 1582, followed by Friday, October 15, 1582, but only in some countries? Pope Gregory XIII did not invent the Gregorian Calendar. Who did? George Washington was born on February 11, 1731/32. So, was he born in 1731 or 1732? Why does the date of Easter shift around, sometimes before Passover, sometimes after Passover, but rarely coinciding with it? October derives from the Latin word octo, meaning eight, so why is it the 10th month? Did the Russian “October Revolution” really occur in November? Why does the Hebrew calendar sometimes have 13 months? This presentation will answer these questions and more.

DNA Oddities -- DNA and biological reproduction are more complex than most people realize. Misunderstandings about how DNA is inherited can lead to false assumptions and confusing, seemingly contradictory results in DNA tests. This presentation reveals fascinating and little-known facts about DNA that are crucial for interpreting unexpected genetic findings. Topics include the importance of centimorgans, DNA crossovers, vanishing twin syndrome, chimeras, sex chromosome anomalies, and the impact of endogamy. Technical details and jargon are kept to a minimum, making these concepts accessible to all.

Effective Use Of Ancestry.com -- I clicked all those little green leaves and built my tree, but I keep finding mistakes. How do I fix them? This presentation will show you how to avoid incorporating other people’s mistakes into your tree and use the Ancestry.com service effectively. It will teach techniques for building a more reliable, evidence-based tree.

Using DNA in Family Research -- I took the DNA test. Now what? This presentation will teach you how to use DNA testing to research your family history. It will cover the pros and cons of each test type, the major testing companies, and techniques to use the information they provide in your genealogy research. The focus is not on the technical or biological aspects of DNA, but on how to use it in genealogy.