Theme: Lift

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Utah State University
Manon Caine Russell Kathryn Caine Wanlass Performance Hall
Logan, Utah, 84322
United States

Abdulkafi Albirini

Linguistics Professor

Abdulkafi Albirini was born and raised in Syria, where he completed his pre-college education, obtained a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and received several academic awards and distinctions. He came to the United States in 2001 to complete his graduate education and obtained two doctoral degrees, one in the technologies of instruction and media and another in Linguistics. He is currently an Associate Professor of Linguistics and Arabic at Utah State University. For the past ten years or so, he has been studying the relationship between language and cognition, language and society, and language and history. A main focus of his research is the role of language in social interactions, relations, structures, and change. In his 2015 book Modern Arabic Sociolinguistics, he examines how language is mobilized in conflict situations to mark divergent national, ethnic, and religious identities. He also analyzes the power of discourse and counter-discourse in defining

Amy Moser

Amy Moser is a Master’s student in the Department of Geology at Utah State University where she studies faults in the San Andreas Fault zone in southern California. Her adventures in geology have taken her from Wyoming and Montana, to southern California, and even New Zealand. Passionate about both science and education, Amy hopes to work towards a career in academia and become a professor of geology. She is currently apply for PhD programs to start in the fall of 2017. While not geeking out on rocks or writing her thesis, you can find her hiking, climbing, or backpacking in the mountains, frequenting the gym, playing with her cat, visiting our amazing national parks, and sharing her adventures on Instagram (@amy_allosaurus).

Clair Canfield

Consultant + Lecturer

Clair Canfield is a consultant and lecturer at Utah State University with degrees in Communication Studies and a graduate certification in alternative dispute resolution. Initially inspired by his own struggles with conflict, Clair is committed to changing the way people think and feel about conflict. “Conflict holds up a mirror to our deepest needs and most cherished hope and it is the doorway of opportunity for creating the change we want in our life,” Clair stated. “It is common to feel trapped and stuck when we experience conflict, but there is a way out!”

Debra Jenson

Communications Professor

Debra Jenson studies communication and social justice groups, including the representation of marginalized groups in popular culture. Her work has previously focused on narratives around religious feminism and the American environmental movement. She is a regular contributor on ComicCon panels discussing diversity and the media we consume.

Elizabeth Vargis

Biological Engineering Professor

Elizabeth Vargis is an Assistant Professor of Biological Engineering at Utah State University. One dream of hers is to name her lab the Batman Lab, and is currently accepting suggestions for an excellent acronym. She began her studies at UC Berkeley, receiving Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering while working at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Her education then took her southeast to Vanderbilt University to get a Master’s and PhD, both in Biomedical Engineering. She completed her postdoctoral appointment at Oak Ridge National Lab in the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences and at UT Knoxville at the Joint Institute of Biological Sciences. Dr. Vargis currently lives in Logan, UT with her partner, daughter and dogs. They enjoy hiking, eating, dancing… and eating some more. She is well known for her dedication to her student’s progression in research and helping them achieve their career goals.

Jeannie Woller

Joseph Wilson

Bee Expert/Biology Professor

Joseph Wilson grew up in Utah and was biologically inclined from birth. At the age of two, he declared to his parents that when he grew up, he wanted to be a lion. While he didn’t quite achieve that goal, his studies at Utah State University provided the training to be the next best thing: a professor of biology. His research focuses primarily on the evolution and ecology of bees and wasps. Joseph says that the lives of these insects provide as much drama, mystery, and humor as any prime time TV show—but without the commercials. Along with a colleague, Joseph recently authored a book, “The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America’s Bees.” He has been invited to share his knowledge on NPR, Canada Public Radio, and at speaking events across the country. Joseph loves that his research enables him to travel around the country with his wife and three children, collecting and photographing the beautiful bees and wasps that live all around us.

Kenneth M. Quinn

Dr. Kenneth M. Quinn, joined the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service in 1968. He served in Southeast Asia throughout much of his diplomatic career and was appointed the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia from 1995 to 1999. After a 32-year career in the Foreign Service, Dr. Quinn assumed the leadership of the World Food Prize Foundation in 2000. He has endeavored to build this annual $250,000 award into the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture.” Ambassador Quinn, is a graduate of Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, has a M.A. in Political Science from Marquette University and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Maryland.

Megan Simper

Megan Simper is a singer/songwriter based in Logan, UT. Her musical career began as the daughter of a piano teacher who provided Megan with classical training. Megan graduated from Utah State University in 2012 with a Bachelors of Music in Guitar Performance. Currently, Megan blends guitar, mandolin and vocals to give form to emotional and experiential landscapes that words fail to capture. Reflecting the sense and stillness Megan finds in the voices of trees, rivers and mountains, her music serves not only to open herself to a purity of being but provide space for others to do the same. A sound that melds classical, folk, bluegrass and blues moves engaged listeners through time, expressing that which has always existed underneath the surface. With deep gratitude for this process, Megan hopes to bring forth people’s light by finding the sacred moments where performer and audience arrive at oneness, together understanding the power of stillness, patience and spirit.

Merideth Thompson

Business Management Professor

Dr. Merideth Thompson is an Associate Professor in the Management Department of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. Dr. Thompson earned her Ph.D. in Organization Studies from Vanderbilt University. She focuses her research on two main areas: bad employee behavior and the work-family interface. She is particularly interested in how abusive supervision and workplace incivility cross over to affect an employee’s family experiences. Thompson’s current research also investigates the impact of toxic workplaces on employee health and healthcare costs. Merideth has two sons who are the light of her life. In her spare time, she serves as a ruling elder at First Presbyterian Church. Rock climbing and baking are a few of the ways she untethers from work, with the fruits of her baking labors being pawned off on her friends and coworkers.

Sean Reyes

In 2013, Sean Reyes was appointed as Utah's 21st Attorney General. Having had involvement prosecuting the notorious human/child sex f Victor Rax in Utah in early 2014 Reyes joined an undercover sting with Operation Underground Railroad in Colombia in October 2014. As a result, over 100 young girls were rescued from the hands of cartel members. Eradicating human and child trafficking in Utah remains a priority for Reyes.