Actor, social justice activist and social media mega-power George Takei shared his life experiences with students, faculty and alumni in October as a guest speaker for UNT's Distinguished Lecture Series.

The audience got a first-hand account of Takei's career, which spans five decades and gained the national spotlight with his founding role in the acclaimed television series Star Trek, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise.

He also shared his experiences as a Japanese American forced into U.S. internment camps during World War II. Today, the openly gay Takei is an outspoken supporter of human rights issues and a community activist. In 2007, the Asteroid 7307 Takei, located between Mars and Jupiter, was named in his honor.

Takei has been ranked the most influential person on Facebook by Mashable.com and has more than 7.7 million likes on Facebook and more than 1.3 million Twitter followers.

UNT's Distinguished Lecture Series introduces the UNT community to the excellence of world-class speakers whose messages enhance student learning outside the classroom.