Theme: Our Ability

TEDxWUSTL presents "Our Ability," a student-curated event featuring speakers from Washington University in St. Louis and beyond. Our goal is to bring together bright minds to give talks that are idea-focused and on a wide range of subjects, to foster learning, inspiration, and wonder – and to provoke conversations that matter.

Please join us for our 2019 event from 5PM-8PM in Hillman Hall's Clark-Fox Forum. Doors will open at 5:00pm and the talks will run from 5:30-7, followed by a reception with light refreshments.

Clark-Fox Forum
Hillman Hall
St. Louis, Missouri, 63105
United States

Leila Sadat

International Criminal Law Expert

Leila Sadat currently serves as the Special Adviser on Crimes Against Humanity to International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. She is the James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law at Washington University Law school where she is also the Director of the Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute. She attended the Rome Diplomatic Conference establishing the International Criminal Court, and lectures all over the world. She is currently directing a project on gun violence and human rights and writing a book on the International Criminal Court. Her free time is spent with her husband and three children, traveling, and teaching yoga.

Max Klapow

Student

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Max is an aspiring “people person” interested in how we connect with each other. As a sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis, he studies psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, and is passionate about figuring out the “why” behind all of the weird and crazy things we as humans do. Max is a William H. Danforth Scholar, a research assistant in the Diversity Sciences Lab, a Strategy Fellow at Bear Studios, and is involved in a number of organizations on campus, including Leaders in Interpersonal Violence Education, social fraternity Alpha Delta Phi, and all-male a cappella group, the Pikers.

Michael Frachetti

Archaeologist

Michael Frachetti has been at WashU since 2005 and is currently a Professor of Archeology, he looks to showcase how civilization isn’t what we thought it was and how looking to the past can teach us lessons about our future. Currently, Professor Frachetti’s research is centered on the pastoral nomadic societies living in the steppe region, mountains and deserts of Central and Eastern Eurasia during the Bronze Age. Professor Frachetti has done work in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Maldives, is a National Geographic Explorer and his research has been featured in the New York Times, Nature, Science, and Archaeology Magazine. Lastly, Professor Frachetti is in the midst of writing his latest book, “Ancient Inner Asia”.

Rupa Patel, MD

Public Health Specialist

Rupa Patel, MD, MPH, DTM&H, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at Washington University. She also serves as the pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis (PrEP) Program director at the Infectious Diseases Clinic and is an Advisor to the World Health Organization for PrEP Implementation. Dr. Patel’s research interests include HIV prevention strategies among high-risk groups and PrEP implementation at the policy, organizational, and consumer level. She was was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 honoree for 2018. In her free time, she can be found hiking and trying new restaurants.

WashU Bhangra

WashU Bhangra originated as a group of friends dancing at the school’s esteemed Diwali show over 15 years ago and has now grown to become one of the most diverse and sought out dance teams on campus. Bhangra is a traditional Indian folk dance that originated in the state of Punjab, India and is a high energy, exciting dance style.

WashU Hip Hop Union

The WashU Hip Hop Union (WUHHU) is Washington University's premier hip hop club. We bring hip hop choreography to students on campus through open workshops and school performances featuring talented WUHHU members and amazing guest choreographers. WUHHU also competes on a regional level, performing in competitions such as Prelude Midwest and Chicago Collaboration. We train school-year round for these events and face off against some of the best dance teams in the U.S.