Theme: What Lies Beneath: Understanding Beyond the Superficial

What lies beneath? A number of diverse and talented speakers will be enlightening us with new concepts and perspectives that encourage us to look beyond the obvious to learn more about our world and our own lives. They will discuss research ideas and insights that employ looking past what is apparent to gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding.

TEDxDanbury
What Lies Beneath?
Understanding Beyond the Superficial

What is TEDx?

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDx[name], where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDx[name] event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

This independent TEDx event is operated under license from TED.

Danbury High School Auditorium
43 Clapboard Ridge Rd.
Danbury, Connecticut, 06811
United States

Ashley Byun

Associate Professor of Biology

Ashley Byun received her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Victoria in British Columbia while holding the prestigious National Science and Engineering Council (NSERC) 1967 fellowship. Her work on postglacial recolonization routes in the Pacific Northwest resulted in key publications and was honored by several awards including first place from the Society of Conservation Biology for best student paper. Since 2007, Dr. Byun has been a faculty member of Fairfield University’s Department of Biology where she has dedicated her career to teaching students and providing them with opportunities to experience research both in the lab and in the jungles and coastal waters of Brazil. Today, Dr. Byun continues to integrate undergraduate teaching with research in a wide range of areas. Her talk will focus on her research regarding how loggerhead turtles find their way from their natal shores to the open ocean within the first hour of their lives.

Brian Jones

CT State Archaeologist

Brian Jones is Connecticut’s State Archaeologist and is associated with Department of Anthropology and Connecticut State Museum of Natural History at UConn, Storrs. Brian has worked as an archaeologist since 1992 and received his Ph.D. in Anthropology at UConn in 1998. Brian has a broad background in New England archaeology that spans the Paleoindian period through the industrial era. He has recently made the archaeology of 17th Century Connecticut one of his top research priorities.

Jill Castle

Dietitian\Pediatric Nutritionist

One of our nation’s top childhood nutrition experts, with over 26 years as a pediatric nutritionist, Jill Castle is frequently called upon as a speaker, consultant and blogger to educate, inspire and transform the way parents and healthcare professionals nourish and nurture children. Jill is also the author of Eat Like a Champion: Performance Nutrition for Your Young Athlete and co-author of Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School.

Jim Knox

Wildlife Ethologist/Zoo Curator

With more than 3,000 presentations to his credit, wildlife expert Jim Knox revels in sharing his passion for working with the world’s most remarkable animals, to transport audiences into his wild world. Early on, Jim realized he commanded a unique opportunity—to partner with others to save the world’s wildlife through the power of the spoken word. This realization leads him to deliver exceptional and enlightening presentations which raise awareness about conservation initiatives for the world’s most critically endangered wildlife.

Mary Poupon

Psychiatric Clinician

Mary A. Poupon is an advanced practice psychiatric nurse/psychiatric nurse practitioner licensed to practice in CT and NY. She completed her graduate education at Columbia University and is published in her field. She is currently a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Four Winds Hospital, an inpatient hospital providing exemplary inpatient psychiatric care to children, adolescents and adults. She was the program director and clinician with the Ryan White Mental Health Program at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children which provided innovative mental health treatment for difficult to engage children, adolescents and adults living with HIV/AIDS in the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx for over 18 years. In 2013 she became certified as an equine assisted psychotherapist and is the Director of Mental Health at Embrace Hope in Sandy Hook, CT. Embrace Hope has been providing equine assisted psychotherapy to children, adolescents and families who were victims of trauma related to