Theme: The Great Rediscovering

Westminster College is one of the epicenters of the various profusions of ideas, innovation and spirit around the globe. Our students and professoriates are amongst some of the top minds in the world who have come to work together and collaboratively discover what and where their places are in our shared global space. Because our students and graduates have gone on to making this world a better place, the community that had shaped their willingness to do so holds an abundance of pride and humility for being a part of their adventures. We hope to be a part of yours, as well.

Despite the vortex of creativity here at Westminster, TEDxWestminsterCollegeSLC still stands out as something unique. Our theme is “The Great Rediscovering”. When you think about it, it doesn’t get any simpler that–rediscover something. But when you really think about it, the message behind those three words hold more power than anyone could ever fathom. We call upon the greatest of our inherent faculties we possess as human beings, to dig deeper into the world we live in, and to answer some hard questions we have casually brushed off. We want to push ourselves into questioning the society and world we live in–the status-quo, and by doing so, we ultimately force ourselves to both discover and rediscover ourselves and what it means to be a member of our global community.

It is also unique because it is the first ever TEDx event to be held here at Westminster - we are making history! We hope that this event serves as an ignition to the visionary fuel that you all have, and that it inspires you to go out into the real world and put into effect the change we need.

Because the number of tickets are limited to 100, we would like to regretfully inform you that not all applications for attendance would be accepted. However, we will work to make sure that all applications will receive every consideration it deserves. Admitted attendees will get the chance to listen to and connect with speakers who demonstrates a passion for exhilarating ideas, and the desired conviction to make those ideas into reality. Perhaps with your help, you can also contribute to making that happen.

Jewett Center for the Performing Arts, Westminster College
1840S 1300E
Salt Lake City, Utah, 84105
United States

Alexia Cooper

Amanda Howa

Amanda is currently a senior at Westminster College. She will be starting graduate school at the Rollins School of Public Heath at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia this fall. Throughout her undergraduate degree, she has been heavily involved with the college’s Honors program and promoting public health initiatives on campus. She has continued her research career at the Huntsman Cancer Institute where she studies protein interactions and their role in the DNA damage response pathway in cancer cells. In her spare time, Amanda is very involved in the community where you can find her volunteering for local non-profits and setting up interactive classes for a girl’s center. After graduate school, she plans to attend medical school and work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on global health initiatives.

Elizabeth Iazykova

Elizabeth is a freshman international student at Westminster College majoring in physics. Throughout her studies, Elizabeth completed a number of research projects with topics ranging from ecology and arts to science and mathematics. She currently has two published papers: “Ecological problems of the local community: dynamics of the population of Grus Vipio” and “The correlation between brain asymmetry and the ability to study languages and mathematics”.

Hunter Schone

Proteomic analyst and Alzheimer Association representative, Hunter has worked to establish a pre-clinical diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease. His efforts in Alzheimer proteomic research were published last year in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Hunter is currently a representative for the Alzheimer Association’s Utah chapter. As a representative, he has spent the last two years working with the Alzheimer population in Utah. Specifically, his primary work has been spent with physicians and caregivers in the community to ultimately instill them with the tools and resources to help better care for the expanding Alzheimer population in Utah. With both research experience and experience with families and caregivers, he offers a comprehensive perspective of the state of Alzheimer’s disease.

Ian Troost

Ian is currently a sophomore marketing major here at Westminster College. He was born and raised in the coastal town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, about an hour North of Boston. Ian has developed a love of the outdoors as he grew up minutes from the ocean, and only a short drive from the mountains of Maine and New Hampshire. Ian loves to camp, and has been a passionate skier from a young age and likes to ski at Alta here in Utah. Ian also grew up playing soccer, and has continued to play while at Westminster for the team. He is also currently the President of the student government branch that oversees clubs on campus. Ian is looking to pursue a career in advertising.

Margaret Romney

After childhood in Boulder Colorado, Margaret’s professional life began with all things related to the cello. Currently, Margaret’s passion is supporting individuals to give their best presentations possible. She has coached speakers for international TEDx events, investor pitches, keynote speeches, and more. Partnering with Shark Tank deal-maker and public speaker Pat Crowley, Truevoiceutah.com was created to offer mind-expanding presentation workshops to a broader audience. Her free time is gobbled up by yoga, gazing at stars, and pretty much anything on public radio. If you ask her nicely she will tell you her family’s motto which is unsuitable to print.

Mike Libecki

Mike has infinite passions: Two of them are obeying his addiction to exploring the most remote, exotic and untouched locations on the planet and being a dedicated father to his angel-daughter (he has won Father of the Year Award from her school more than once). Mike has planned and succeeded on 65+ expeditions and established multiple first ascents in such areas as Afghanistan, Antarctica, Baffin Island, Guyana, Greenland, China, Madagascar, Kyrgysztan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Venezuela, Yemen, Indonesia, Philippines, Polynesia, Africa, and even unnamed spots on the globe. Many of these have been solo expeditions on mysterious lands and waters, rediscovering what very few have seen. When Mike is not climbing and exploring untouched Earth, he is a full time father. He just took his 11 year old daughter Lilliana on her first two big expeditions to Antarctica and Africa completing her goal of reaching all 7 continents by age 12 (and 17 countries).

Morgane Scheffer

Morgane Scheffer is a French-born citizen, currently a graduate student in Community Leadership at Westminster College. She is a mentor, French tutor, a member of the Spiritual Center and an active student leader at her college. She coteaches two integrated dance and math class at Woodrow Wilson elementary. Morgane has been a presenter at the 2015 Parliament of the World’s Religions where she co-created a workshop for a “Uniting flashmob” that was later performed in the Salt Lake Palace and noticed by the local news. She gave a talk at Westminster Thinks Big this fall on “Self-love and thinking of our actions with love”. Her passions for spirituality and the arts have led her to be involved in social change. She aspires at bringing change through the combination of Art and Mindfulness.

Nick Hansen

Nick is passionate about strategy. He is currently an adjunct professor at Westminster’s Bill & Vieve Gore School of Business where he teaches business management courses. He is also a marketing and business development executive currently working in the financial services industry. Nick has experience hosting a weekly radio show, emceeing and producing large events and conferences, and is often asked to speak at various business and academic meetings. He has an MBA from the Bill & Vieve Gore School of Business and an English degree from the University of Utah. Nick resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife (Kelsey) and their two children (Hallie and Cole).

Ryzen Benson

Ryzen is currently a sophomore here at Westminster College. He is pursuing a customized major in Biomedical and Translational Research. After Westminster, he plans to attend graduate school and eventually complete doctoral studies in either Molecular Epidemiology and/or Oncological Drug Development. He loves conducting scientific research and has been doing so for about five years now. When he is not studying, he loves mixing music, watching baseball and hanging out with his friends and family. He works as a high school football coach at Highland High School, a car detailer, and at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake.

Sione Ata Siulua

Ata is the Coordinator for Residence Life at Westminster College. He received his B.A. from the University of Utah and is currently a graduate student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Program. He has served in various capacities as a student leader and professional at many higher education institutions around Utah. He hopes to continue working in higher education and empower students to become more involved and engaged in their experience both inside and outside of the classroom. When Ata is not helping students or studying for school, he enjoys traveling, the outdoors, Netflix, and competing with Westminster students in intramural sports on campus.

Stacy Dymalski

Stacy is an author, standup comic, corporate speaker, and filmmaker. In other words, Stacy is simply a storyteller. Her latest books include the hysterical bestseller “Confessions of a Band Geek Mom” and the self-publishing bible “The Memoir Midwife: Nine Steps to Self-Publishing Your Book.” In 2012 Stacy was a semi-finalist in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest, in which she competed for the title of World Champion of Public Speaking with her inspirational speech, “Wynton Marsalis Had My Back.” She lives in Park City, UT, with her Chihuahua, Chico, and keeps the home fires burning for when her 18- and 21-year-old sons come home to visit from college. Check out her website at www.TheMemoirMidwife.com.

TaneshaNicole Tyler

TaneshaNicole is a Pisces who grew up in Logan, Utah. She moved to Salt Lake City in 2014 to pursue an English Degree with a psychology minor from Westminster College, when she stumbled upon the poetry scene and immediately fell in love. TaneshaNicole has since attended competitions at both the regional and national level including Utah Arts Festival, CUPSI, IWPS and most recently, the Women of the World Poetry Slam where she placed 9th out of 96 poets. TaneshaNicole's poem "Afterparty" was featured as the poem of the day on Button Poetry's YouTube channel. TaneshaNicole's involvement outside of slam includes being an activist, student leader, and facilitator for larger dialogues. Tanesha was a speaker for the 2015-2016 Bruin Voices Series at Salt Lake Community College earlier this year where she presented work from her chapbook Black and Blooming and facilitated dialogues with students and community members surrounding issues of race.

Vicki Whiting

Vicki, MBA, Ph.D. is a Professor of Management and Leadership in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business at Westminster College. She brings over twenty-five years of business and leadership experience to classrooms and executives throughout the United States. Vicki has focused her teaching, research, and consulting experience in the area of organizational leadership, most specifically on personal and organizational leadership development through mentor relationships, leveraging strengths, and developing effective organizational interactions. Vicki received her doctoral degree from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California where she received the prestigious Sample Fellowship award. She received her M.B.A. from Seattle University and her B.S. Degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University. She has taught at the University of Utah and at the University of Southern California.