TEDxTAMU is a conference devoted to bringing ideas worth spreading to Texas A&M University and the surrounding community. All speakers at TEDxTAMU are affiliated with Texas A&M University. Professionals from multiple backgrounds, speakers at TEDxTAMU will be speaking on many diverse subjects. This year's event is comprised of two sessions: Unteachable and Groundbreaking.

Geren Auditorium (Langford B)
3137 TAMU
Langford B
College Station, Texas, 77843
United States

Andrew Roblyer

Andrew graduated from Texas A&M (Class of 2011) with a degree in Theatre Arts. During his time at Texas A&M, Andrew founded The Honorable Bards, an entirely student-run theatre company which provided an artistic outlet for students in technical and otherwise time-consuming degree programs. Andrew is a founding board member of Homeschool Alumni Reaching Out, an organization that uses narrative and storytelling to empower those who grew up in abusive homeschooling environments. Currently, Andrew is the Founder and Artistic Director of This Is Water Theatre, the first and only professional theatre company in Bryan/College Station, TX, where he is working to challenge how the “Facebook Generation” thinks about theatre. For more information on Andrew, visit www.andrewroblyer.com.

Bart Taylor

Bart Taylor is a dedicated career and technology teacher with fifteen years of experience in the classroom. He offers a proven track record of commended performance in teaching, and leadership, with a passion for education and a commitment to continually pursue student, school and district success. Mr. Taylor’s experience includes classroom teaching, motivational speaking, district curriculum and instructional coaching, professional development planning/presenting, high school webpage administrator, TIVA Board Member, e2it3 President, robotics/engineering club head sponsor, Gay Straight Alliance sponsor and SkillsUSA Texas District 7 Director. Mr. Taylor is currently working on his Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Texas A&M University in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture. His plans are to further his career in education at the district and university levels as well as increase his experience in both public and motivational speaking.

Blake Godkin

Blake Godkin is a futurist, strategy consultant, and creativity facilitator working closely with organizations to help them create and manage new ideas in order to bring about future-focused organizational transformation. His clients include K-12 school districts, institutions of higher learning, and design-services firms. Blake holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M and a Master of Science in Creativity & Change Leadership from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at SUNY College at Buffalo. Blake is a certified Zorber, member of a curling club, and enjoys listening to music on vinyl. Most importantly, he is thankful every day to be married to his wife Becca.

Cheryl Walker

Cheryl Lyn Walker, PhD, is the Director of the TAMU Health Sciences Center Institute of Biosciences and Technology. She was awarded the Cozzarelli Prize for Biological Sciences from the National Academy of Sciences.

Claire Katz

Claire Katz is Professor of Philosophy and Women’s and Gender Studies. She teaches and conducts research in 20th century European philosophy, feminist theory, philosophy of education, and modern Jewish philosophy. She is the author of three monographs: Levinas, Judaism, and the Feminine: The Silent Footsteps of Rebecca (Indiana Univ Press, 2003); Levinas and the Crisis of Humanism (Indiana Univ Press, 2013); and An Introduction to Modern Jewish Philosophy (IB Tauris, 2014).

Cliff Dugosh

A native of San Antonio, Cliff Dugosh has spoken to thousands of individuals throughout Texas and several states in the past twenty years. Having done over 900 speeches with audiences that have ranged from kindergartners to corporate executives, Cliff has spoken all over Texas and has also delivered speeches in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Nashville, Kansas City, Denver and numerous other cities. With a passion for college students, Cliff has spoken to students at Texas A&M, Stanford University, West Point, United States Naval Academy, United States Air Force Academy, and the University of Texas.

David Toback

Dr. David Toback is Professor of Physics and Astronomy and a member of the Mitchell Institute at Texas A&M University. He is the Thaman Professor for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence. Prof. Toback received his B.S. in physics from M.I.T. in 1991, his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1997, and joined the faculty at Texas A&M in 2000. His area of specialization is Experimental Particle Physics and has focused on the search for new fundamental particles.The search for new particles is motivated in part by the tantalizing possibility of understanding the mysteries of particle physics, the earliest moments in the Universe after the Big Bang, and the existence of the Dark Matter that pervades the Universe today with a single discovery.

Rebecca Cooke

Rebecca Cooke, strategy consultant, executive coach, and founder of RoundTableau LLC, has been providing professional services to the global Fortune 100 for more than 30+ years. In both the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds, she has a proven track record in helping companies and top management achieve strategic success. Rebecca has served in strategy and leadership roles in organizations such as IBM, Sprint, and Paranet. Cooke has a BBA in Accounting from Texas A&M University, an MBA from Rice University and is currently an Executive Doctorate candidate at Cranfield University School of Management. As a member of the International Centre for Women Leaders, her research topic examines the role of communication in the advancement of leaders and seeks to identify possible gender effects on leadership outcomes.

Rodney Hill

Professor Rodney Hill received the 2014 United States Presidential Call to Service Award from the White House. He holds the 2010 Presidential Professor Title in Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M University and the Harold Adams Professorship in Interdisciplinary Collaboration. He is on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Applied Creativity. In May of 2011, he was awarded the Piper Professor for Teaching Excellence from the State of Texas. The Piper Award is given to the top eight professors in the State of Texas. In July 2010, Professor Hill was the recipient of the SLATE Award for the highest student evaluations in the university system. Professor Hill received the 2006 Champion of Creativity Award at the American Creativity Association International Conference. He was one of the five faculty members that established StartUp AggieLand, the student incubation center at Texas A&M University.

Sidney Gardner

Sidney Gardner got her B.A. in English at Texas Woman's University and her M.S. in Women's Studies at Minnesota State University. She is extremely passionate about LBGTQQIAAP issues and access in Higher Education. She has worked with LGBT services for over 8 years. In 2007 at Metropolitan State University she became the Coordinator for the GLBT Services. She was a founding member of the MN GLBTA Campus Alliance there. Through this she advocated for a change on university campuses by uniting students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members. In the fall of 2012 she decided to return other home state of Texas and is now the Program Coordinator for the GLBT Resource Center here at Texas A&M University.