Theme: Simplicity

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).

McGlothlin Center for the Arts
30481 Garnand Drive
Emory, Virginia, 24327
United States

Ali Hillman

Student

Ali Hillman is a senior self-crafted Cross-Cultural Psychology major at Emory & Henry College. She is headed to Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland this fall to receive an MSc in Autism Spectrum Disorder Studies. She aspires to spend her life celebrating neurodiversity and exploring the potential of difference. Ali would like to work in higher education as part of a collaborative education model.

Ellie Hogg

Student

Ellie Hogg is a senior English Literature and Creative Writing double major at Emory & Henry College with a self-crafted minor in Mass Media and Society. She will be pursuing a Master’s degree in English Literature with some interdisciplinary work in Women’s and Gender Studies next year. Ellie is interested in research that will help real people, and has a lot of dream projects to pursue.

Jade Ritterbusch

Student

Jade Ritterbusch is a senior Theatre and Political Science double major at Emory & Henry College who hopes to pursue a graduate education in Political Science beginning this fall. Her research focuses on the importance of acknowledging and accepting multiple ethnicities in individuals as a part of their identities in our society. Jade aspires to a career in government. She hopes to one day act as Senator for the state of Virginia, where she will make a point to acknowledge all aspects of the identities of the people she will serve.

Jennifer Stapleton

Communications Manager

Jennifer Stapleton is a communications manager at a prominent non-governmental organization in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of the Emory & Henry College class of 1996, and received her MA in Specialized Ministry from Iliff School of Theology in 2001 with an emphasis in Justice and Peace. She is committed to sharing her stories of experience with gun violence and encouraging communication about safe gun use and the nature of human fear.

Laken Brooks

Student

Laken Brooks is a senior Literature major at Emory & Henry College who hopes to either attend graduate school or begin working with English Literature in the near future. She is passionate about education and interdisciplinary studies, and believes that academics have a responsibility to promote broad, diverse knowledge. As someone who struggles with math anxiety, she recognizes the importance of math to literature, especially poetry, and is therefore studying how poetry can help to reduce math anxiety.

William Gibbons

Associate Professor of Musicology / Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Texas Christian University

Dr. Will Gibbons is a musicologist and Associate Professor of Musicology and Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Texas Christian University. He hopes to inspire scholars to learn to communicate their knowledge to a broad audience. Dr. Gibbons is an alum of the Emory & Henry College class of 2003 and received his Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2010. He is published on topics ranging from Parisian opera culture to video game music, gives frequent presentations across the US and the world, and is the author of a new book arriving later this year on classical music in video games.