Eight speakers have been selected to present at this year’s TEDxUniversityofMississippi event, “New Avenues.” Each speaker will present their specific interpretations of what the theme means to them based on their expertise.
Michelle Hanlon, Co-Director of the Air and Space Law Program at the University of Mississippi Law School, will be one of the speakers. Hanlon said a new avenue to her is space and space exploration. Humans are naturally exploratory creatures who will build communities in space and expand space exploration in the future, she said. Space is for everyone, and Hanlon hopes to instill her same passions with a wider audience during this event.
“We have not scratched the surface of where our species can go,” said Hanlon. “This avenue is infinite, has infinite possibility and is truly open to everyone.”
Meagan Rosenthal, a Department of Pharmacy Administration Associate Professor, said that New Avenues challenges everyone to constantly reassess their own thinking and expertise.
“In doing so, we can bring a fresh perspective and hopefully think of new and creative ways to address the problems we are trying to solve,” Rosenthal said.
Hanlon said TEDx is an important and fantastic opportunity for the speakers and audience because people will get exposed to some really fascinating ideas. According to Hanlon, TEDx provides such an important challenge for the speakers because they must appeal to people who don’t love what they do.
“To be here at the University of Mississippi and have something like this is great to help promote the creativity here at the university,” said. Richard Balkin of the School of Education, another speaker at the event. “This is a great place to be, and to be able to have a venue and promote our ideas, interests and passions is really great.”
TEDxUniversityofMississippi was founded in 2015 with the mission to promote ideas worth spreading. TEDx is a student-run organization made up of volunteers who find ideas and extend them to the largest audience possible.
Morgan McCann, head of fundraising for TEDxUniversityofMississippi, said that putting on a TEDx event requires months of commitment to plan. The TEDx team is divided into committees who work diligently behind the scenes to find the speakers, a venue and coordinate the event.
“I am in one of those positions to give a stage for those voices to be put out there in my own community,” said Anna Kang, head of speaker relations. “I find it amazing that I am a part of such a productive and talented group of people that want to share these speakers’ stories to all, and I am proud to be a part of the message overall.”
For those interested in attending, other speakers who will present at this year’s TEDx include:
- Michael Fagans, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and New Media
- Stephanie Showalter Otts, an environmental attorney specializing in ocean and coastal law
- Sharde Thomas, the lead vocalist and manager of Rising Stars Fife & Drum band
- Maria Brito, an art advisor, curator and writer
- Jacqueline DiBiasie-Sammons, a Department of Classics assistant professor
TEDxUniversityofMississippi’s “New Avenues” begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is free and tickets can be reserved over the phone with the Ford Center or on the TEDxUniversityofMississippi website.
