Ideas matter. They’re the seeds that give birth to new paradigms and innovations. They shape the way we view our world, and humanity would be stagnant and lost without them.

We are proud to present TEDxGettysburgCollege: a program inspired and licensed by the TED Conference but independently organized by the students of Gettysburg College. We believe firmly that a strong intellectual climate on campus is built in part through the meaningfully engagement of the student body. To that end, we have curated a collection of ideas and speakers that have relevance and meaning to a college community that continually strives to be the best it can be. These ideas might be simple reminders of what it means to be a decent human being, complex new theories from academia, or perhaps even something else altogether. We have curated these ideas from various disciplines and walks-of-life in order to give our campus something different to ponder as together we strive to make sense of our world.

Kline Theater
300 North Washington Street
Gettysburg, PA, Pennsylvania, 17325
United States

Howard Ernst

Professor of Political Science at the U.S. Naval Academy & Seiden-Levi Fellow of Public Policy at Gettysburg College's Eisenhower Institute

Howard R. Ernst serves as the Seiden-Levi Fellow of Public Policy at Gettysburg College’s Eisenhower Institute, Professor of Political Science at the United States Naval Academy, and Senior Scholar at University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. Dr. Ernst’s research and teaching areas include environmental policy, energy policy, environmental thought, and American government. He has published six books and numerous articles. He is currently researching the determinants of environmental behavior and energy conservation, the radical environmental movement in the United States, and public opinion regarding sea-level rise. His work has been highlighted in the Washington Post, National Public Radio, C-SPAN, and Voice of America. Ernst’s work has resulted in invitations to testify before Congress and to guest lecture at numerous institutions.

Jennifer McCary

Associate Dean for Violence Prevention and Resolution, Title IX Coordinator, and Interim Director of the Women's Center at Gettysburg College

Jennifer McCary is the Associate Dean for Violence Prevention and Resolution, Title IX Coordinator, and Interim Director of the Women's Center here at Gettysburg College. Jennifer joined the Gettysburg community in June, 2011 as the Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities. In her former role, Jennifer oversaw the conduct system and began her work within the Learning for Social Justice Curriculum that she is still closely connected to. Jennifer is originally from Cleveland Heights, Ohio and has been living in the Baltimore area since 2009. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art Education & Stone Sculpture from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Arts degree also from Bowling Green State University in College Student Personal. While she served as the Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Jennifer created a bystander intervention workshop entitled “Civility and Bystander Intervention: A Solution to Injustice,” which runs twice a semester. The progra

Keith Oberg

Executive Director of Bikes for America

Keith Oberg combined his love of cycling with a career commitment to international economic development to found Bikes for the World, currently the nation’s largest charitable “re-purposer” of bicycles, where he now serves as Executive Director. Keith earlier spent 15 years as a program officer for the Inter-American Foundation, an independent US government agency supporting non-profit community and self-help efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean. A long-time recreational and commuter cyclist, Keith has been active on multiple boards of directors promoting cycling as environmentally and economically sustainable transportation locally and around the globe, including stints as Board Secretary (and co-founder) of Phoenix Bikes, a youth earn-a-bike program and community bike shop in Arlington VA, and chairman (1992-97) of the NY-based Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.

Terri Lynn Hamrick

President and CEO of Survivors, Inc.

Terri Lynn Hamrick joined Survivors, Inc. in October 2006 as the President and CEO, and has worked in the nonprofit realm in different capacities for over 20 years, but all have had interpersonal violence as a primary challenge of those she served. Terri was an active member of the board of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape as the Chair of Standards Committee, is a co-chair of the Healthy Adams County Domestic Violence Task Force and STOP Grant Committee, and is a member of the Adams County Human Trafficking Response Team as well as a member of the larger Statewide Team. Terri is the Vice Chair of the Board of Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania, and is the Chair of Philanthropy for the Rotary Club of Gettysburg as well as is a member of the Executive Committee of Children of Hoarders, Inc. In addition to working with those impacted by sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, dating violence and human trafficking.

Tom Koch

Secondary school educator

Thomas Koch has been teaching public school children for the last eighteen years. Among his many passions, poetry remains his favorite endeavor. As a published poet, Thomas routinely incorporates personal experience and authentic opportunities in the classroom. He believes that affording students an opportunity to write beyond curricular expectations builds meaningful relationships. In addition to poetry, Thomas enjoys antique homes and fine woodworking. As much as Thomas is drawn to old school techniques, he also values the benefits of progressive thinking. He is currently the webmaster of his middle school in Wilton, CT and is proud to be a Google agent of change. He is the father of two girls and lives in Connecticut with his wife of fifteen years.