TEDxJohnsHopkinsUniversity recently announced its second annual event’s theme of “NextGen:TBD,” along with its lineup of seven speakers, who aim to predict innovations that will occur in their fields.
While this year’s talks will focus on the contributions of future generations, the event, which will be held in Mudd Auditorium on March 7, will also underscore the importance of making decisions in the present.
According to curator Adrian Latifi, the event will not only include speeches. Numerous student groups will perform on stage, while others, such as BME Design Teams, will give short presentations on their projects.
“This is just one effort we are making to highlight the great things that the students here do. It’s also a great way to keep our attendees engaged and active throughout the day,” Latifi wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
Latifi, a senior majoring in Chemistry, Spanish and Biology, is one of the co-founders and organizers of the event, along with fellow curators and co-founders Brian Tung and Yvana Adhab. Latifi explained the rationale behind the group’s choice of speakers.
“We strived to create a well-balanced line-up that covered a diverse range of topics,” Latifi wrote. “At the same time, we try to feature someone outside of the Hopkins community to bring their ideas to campus.”
The TEDx team ensured that speakers from almost every department were included in the lineup, in order to appeal to students with different interests.
This is also the first time TEDx will feature a student speaker; freshman Astha Berry received the most votes in the TEDx Student Speaker Competition. Berry, a public health and writing seminars major, will present on the meaning and diction of words in context.
“This has always been our vision for TEDxJHU — sharing Hopkins’ ideas with the world while at the same time bringing some of the world’s ideas to Hopkins,” Latifi wrote. “In this way, we are striking a balance between being locally and globally oriented. This event is as much about Hopkins as it is about the rest of the world, and I think that that will come through in our speakers’ Talks.”
The line-up will include Mario Macis, assistant professor of Economics and Management at the Carey Business School. Marcis plans to discuss how behavioral economics can be used to shed light on controversial matters, such as organ transplantation.
Kelly Peeler, founder and CEO of NextGenVest, a New York City based startup that aims to empower students to make financial decisions, will also speak at the event. After studying the history of financial crises, she worked in JPMorgan’s investment banking division and was chosen as one of Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.
John Krakauer, professor of Neurology and Neuroscience, director of the Center for the Study of Motor Learning and Brain Repair and director of Brain, Learning, Animation and Movement Lab (BLAM) at Johns Hopkins, will also speak at the event. He has also performed extensive research in using interactive reconditioning for patients with brain injury.
Doreen Bolger, Director of The Baltimore Museum of Art, who will present about Baltimore’s art culture and the artistic expansion of The Baltimore Museum of Art.
Kellogg Schwab, director of the JHU Water Institute and Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, will discuss the use of environmental engineering and microbiology in making global potable water more sustainable.
Fred Bronstein, dean of Peabody Institute, will talk about the future of music and musicianship.
Past speakers include Bruce Marsh, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Mark Mattson, a professor in the neuroscience department and Fabian Pfortmüller, the co-founder of Holster, a company that produces letter-pressed cars, art prints and posters.
Since its inception, the TEDxJHU team has gained more team members and resources. Founded in 2013, TEDxJHU held its first event last spring. The tickets for that line-up sold out in one day, and a livestream video of the event garnered over 100,000 views on Youtube and TED.com.
“This year, we are hoping to be even more successful,” Latifi wrote.
More information about this year’s conference can be found on the TEDxJHU website.
