Samuel Conway (Uncle Kage)

There are many heroes in this world, some with more notoriety than others. Among these heroes, one of them can be found at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center between the dates of June 30th and July 3rd. This man isn't well known throughout the world but his character is undeniably that of a hero. Mr. Samuel Conway is a chemist who currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. He obtained his Ph. D. from Dartmouth College in 1991. He has also been the chairman of Anthrocon, the largest furry convention in the world, since 1998. A hero must possess dedication because what's the point of doing something if you're not going to be the best at it? A hero must also possess the desire to give back to society for the hospitality it has provided. Mr. Conway possesses dedication, intelligence, and a desire to give back to society. These are just a few defining characteristics of a hero.

Mr. Conway talks to KDKA reporters. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Conway ())

Mr. Conway is regarded by many as the "face of the furry fandom". He has also received recognition for his work in the field of chemistry. Recognition is only given to those who are truly dedicated to giving their all to make the world better for everyone else. Since science was Mr. Conway's favorite field, he dedicated his entire life to it. He went above and beyond the call of duty to better himself by attending the notoriously demanding graduate school. ".graduate school was a lot of work. The hours were long and the classes were intensive, but as difficult as it was at first, it taught me the most crucial skill a researcher needs: thinking!" (Conway). Even during the tedious hours of graduate school, Mr. Conway showed unrelenting dedication whilst powering through his classes and he even managed to pick up some useful skills along the way. Many students would have given up or wouldn't have learned any practical skills from graduate school. Along with holding a Ph. D., Mr. Conway also holds the status of chairman of the largest furry convention in the world. Last year, convention attendance was just shy of 6400 attendees, a 9% increase from 2014's convention. "Kage remains the public liaison for Anthrocon, handling such things as public relations, hotel contracts, finances and even damage control, as well as many numerous other activities before, during and after the convention" ("Uncle Kage"). Running a convention of any type is a feat in itself, but furry conventions require additional special accommodations. Since convention attendance has been rising steadily for the last 17 years, Mr. Conway has had to continually adjust to the rising number of attendees and the continually evolving fandom. Running a convention for the last 18 years has taught Mr. Conway that it takes hard work and dedication to be successful. Conventions are not successful if they don't have a dedicated leader. 

Intelligent people such as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, just to name a few, have bettered the world with their discoveries. Mr. Conway has shown his tremendous intelligence by creating chemicals whose intended use is to treat hepatitis B. "One patent covers compounds intended to treat hepatitis B." ("Samuel Conway"). As any good scientist would do, Mr. Conway put his astounding intellect to use by creating compounds to assist those with hepatitis B through the treatment process. With this breakthrough, doctors will be able to treat affected patients faster than ever before. He continues to better the world by creating recyclable packaging materials that will reduce the cost for everyone else. ".another [patent] relates to recyclable packaging material" ("Samuel Conway"). Conway has also used his intelligence to protect the Earth with the creation of compounds to create recyclable packaging materials. The Earth's natural resources are not endless in supply therefore the creation of recyclable materials would save the environment and reduce the cost of shipping materials worldwide. After years of school, Mr. Conway used his intelligence to create products to help society advance to a more green and disease free environment. 

Mr. Conway and the Staff at Anthrocon 2007 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Conway ())

Last year, the attendees of Anthrocon poured over $5 million into Pittsburgh's local economy. If the charities are included, the grand total comes out to around $6 million given back to the city of Pittsburgh. Every year at Anthrocon, there is a charity auction and charity panels hosted in an effort to raise money for local animal shelters. "Since 1997, the Anthrocon Charity Auction has donated more than $240,000 to local charities" ("Anthrocon"). Every year, the charity auction features art from artists within the furry fandom. However, the amount listed here does not include the money raised from the charity panels headed by Mr. Conway. He is usually joined by his good friend Matthew Wayne Davis, also known as "2". Conway has also hosted a charity to save a local Pittsburgh business simply because he sees the owner as "one of us". "There was no giant corporation, there was no big company that came to his [Fernando's] aid. There were well over 500 individuals who threw out $5, $10, $25 where they could to save a local business for the simple reason that we see him as one of us" (Furries in the Media). Fernando DeCarvalho is the owner of Fernando's Café in downtown Pittsburgh, right around the corner from the Westin Convention Center Hotel. During Anthrocon 2011, some locals were harassing Anthrocon attendees and when Mr. DeCarvalho intervened he received a fractured skull after one of the aggressors struck him over the head with a brick. He is now a permanent hero to the furry community and when Mr. Conway found out that Mr. DeCarvalho's business was going under, Mr. Conway started a charity campaign to help save Mr. DeCarvalho's business. Fernando's Cafe is still open today. In an effort to give back to the businesses and citizens of Pittsburgh, Mr. Conway brings a convention that pours $6 million into the city's local economy as his method of giving back. 

Mr. Conway's dedication, intelligence, and desire to give back are the characteristics that define him as a hero. His unrelenting dedication towards ensuring that each and every Anthrocon is better than the previous is indicative of a hero. His intelligence in his work with chemicals also shows signs of heroic status. Finally, his desire to give back to the city of Pittsburgh for its hospitality during Anthrocon is also indicative of a hero. He inspires people by showing that hard work pays off in the end, both with his chairman status and the compounds he has created to better the world. He also inspires people to give back to society for the hospitality that it has provided. Mr. Conway, the face of the furry fandom, the chairman of Anthrocon, and the expert chemist, is a driving force for a better world.