Theme: Innovate and Lead

We are so excited that you are interested in coming to the 4th Annual TEDxFAUJupiter Innovate and Lead event. TEDxFAUJupiter is a unique event because it is all student organized, sponsored by FAU’s Student Government, and showcases FAU students, faculty, and staff. We invite you to come with an open mind and get ready to listen to some awesome ideas. We can't wait to see you on March 31st in the Lifelong Learning Society (LLS) Auditorium from 4-8 PM!

5353 Parkside Drive
Jupiter FL, Florida, 33458
United States

Alex Rodriguez

Motivational speaker and influencer, Alex Rodriguez is a life coach to homeless kids of Sarasota, Florida, as well as a mentor for his followers through his “Live Talk” sessions that he offers on his site. Also, Alex is the first person to speak at the National Speakers Association “Fast Five” In Tampa (five minute topic speech), as well as being certified to be a “Lead Like Jesus” facilitator for Ken Blanchard’s company, (LLJ) “Lead like Jesus.” One fact about Alex is that he stands by faith and authenticity & has learned the value of these two through top mentors such as Sean Stephenson, Josh Shipp, Lynne Rose, and Barbara Glans, as well as many others.

Arushi Thaper

In her talk "The Best Years of Our Lives", Arushi will address this issue and explain to others that it is okay to admit that you are stressed and anxious. It is an issue that needs to be brought to light in order to de-stigmatize the fear of admitting our weaknesses. We cannot let our anxiety control us. Arushi Thaper is a senior at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College and will be a part of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at FAU's Class of 2020. Her experiences of handling the stress of academic, extracurricular, and social obligations has helped her learn ways to manage and keep fears in check. One interesting fact about Arushi is that she spoke to Steve Carell on the phone for 2 whole minutes once...and it was amazing.

Bettina Teng

Bettina Teng is a Junior studying Biochemistry at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, and plans to graduate in Fall 2016. Bettina was taught how to play the violin by her mother, a professional violinist, when she was two years old and worked with the music therapist at the Ann Storck Center. This inspired her to create a charity in honor of the center. For her first two years of college, Bettina commuted to Boca Raton every week to participate in the symphony orchestra, where she served as the Concert Master of the Florida Atlantic University Symphony Orchestra for two years.

Chad Coarsey

Chad Coarsey is a Master’s Student in Bioengineering with a focus in Microfluidics and Nanobiotechnology for Disease Diagnostics. He was born without a left hand, struggled with paralysis and even faced his own mortality. Needless to say, he has overcome many adversities and has created several opportunities through his experiences. He found his passion for Microbiology studying at FAU, and was able to research novel antibiotics from soil bacteria with Dr. Joseph Caruso, a partner of the crowd-sourcing Small World Initiative collaboration. Chad joined The Asghar-Lab: Micro and Nanotechnologies in medicine. There he has begun work on potential diagnostics for Ebola Viral disease, using both conventional and synthetic biology techniques.

Dr. Cristobal Salinas

Dr. Cristobal Salinas is the Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology at Florida Atlantic University. He previously served as the College of Design’s multicultural liaison officer at Iowa State University, where he provided assistance and guidance in understanding issues of diversity in the college setting and beyond. He holds a B.A. in Spanish Education and ESL from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education, both from Iowa State University. He coauthored Iowa’s Community Colleges: A Collective History of Fifty Years of Accomplishment. Cristobal is the co-founder and Managing Editor for the Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity. His research promotes access and quality in higher education, and explores the social, political, and economic context of education opportunities for historically marginalized communities, with an emphasis on Latino/a communities.

Dr. Douglas McGetchin

Dr. Douglass McGetchin is the Associate Professor of History at Florida Atlantic University. He specializes in the history of connections between Modern Germany and South Asia. He lived in Germany (Berlin, 1999-2000), India (Kolkata [Calcutta], 2013-2014), and is the author of Indology, Indomania, Orientalism: Ancient India’s Rebirth in Modern Germany (2009) and a co-editor of Transcultural Encounters between Germany and India in the 19th and 20th Centuries: Kindred Spirits (2014). He also received a Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar Research Award in 2013-2014 to conduct research in Kolkata India on his current book The Boycott or the Bullet: Debates over Nonviolence in Indo-Western Anti-Imperialist Struggles, 1893-1964 about the interconnections between three struggles for social justice: European anti-imperial and labor politics, The Indian Independence movement, and the pan-African movement that included the Civil Rights struggle in the United States.

Dr. Jennifer Bloom

Dr. Jennifer Bloom is the associate professor of higher education leadership at Florida Atlantic University. She is a co-founder of the Appreciative Advising framework that her presentation is built on and has presented on Appreciative Advising at over 300 colleges and universities. She is living her passion as a college professor and loves her job.

Dr. John Hardman

Dr. John Hardman is an instructor in the Department of Educational Leadership & Research Methodology at Florida Atlantic University, where he teaches Master’s and Doctoral level courses in school administration. He is the departmental liaison to the Palm Beach County School District, the department’s eLearning Coordinator, and Chair of the College of Education’s Diversity Committee. His research focuses on effective leadership for regeneration and sustainability in business, education, and community, which he teaches through the Executive Education Center at the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica.

Euda Fils

Euda Fils is currently pursuing a degree in Economics with a minor in History at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. She recently went on a week-long trip with Alternative Spring Break where she volunteered her time to build homes for the homeless, and learned about different aspects of homelessness and poverty. She also spent a significant amount of time as an intern for the Jean Dartil Laguerre Foundation. The foundation is non-profit, and aims to serve the 'forgotten' people of Haiti. Those who reside in the mountainous regions of Haiti are cut-off from modern amenities such as schools, churches, and hospitals. The foundation aims to bring these amenities to the people. So far, a school and church have been built. Every three months, the foundation sets up a mobile clinic where villagers can get much needed medical care. While volunteering in Haiti, she rode up a mountain (and came back down) on the back of a scooter.

James Adaryukov

Spending most of his childhood in Germany, James Adaryukov returned to the United States only five years ago. He is pursuing a double-concentration in Economics and Neuroscience with a specific focus on human behavior, at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. James is also one of the school’s Flagler scholars, and is moderately fluent in Japanese. He will graduate from the Honors College in Spring 2019.

Leah Turner

Leah Turner is a senior at the Harriet L Wilkes Honors College with a concentration in Women’s Studies and potential minors in Anthropology and Literature. Many students only perceive her as a Resident Assistant at FAU and the founder and current President of the Feminism, Racial Intolerance, Gender Inequality, and Deviancy Club on the Jupiter Campus. She decided to also become a speaker at TEDxFAUJupiter. She is addressing a topic that is very close to her heart. Inspired by her concentrations, Leah will be discussing fat women within our current society, and how they can become less marginalized members of the populace. Leah is also a proud fat woman, and she has done extensive reading and research on the topic of Fat Studies, culminating in a large 20 page paper on which her talk is based. She is well prepared to present a well-informed but interesting discussion to the community.

Nick Zizi

For over a decade, motivational speaker and author, Nick Zizi, has impacted over 100,000 students across the nation on the topics of motivation and leadership. He’s delivered messages for “The Summer Groove,” hosted by Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade, University of Miami, and the YMCA to name a few.

Regina Murphy

Regina Murphy is a sophomore studying Medical Humanities. She wants to become a doctor and specialize in ophthalmology. She founded “Reading with Regina,” a literacy program at an elementary school that serves children of migrant and immigrant workers from the first to third grade, where English is their secondary language. Also, she is awaiting receipt of the Congressional Award Gold Medal.