Theme: Voices: Speak Up and Speak Out

TEDxGeorgiaStateU features speakers from the campus community speaking up and speaking out about the issues they are most passionate about sharing. We hope you will consider joining us for a thoughtful and engaging event.

College of Law Courtroom/Auditorium
85 Park Place NE
Auditorium 041
Atlanta, Georgia, 30303
United States

Anne Murphy

Neuroscientist

Anne Z. Murphy joined the faculty of Georgia State University in 2003 and is currently a Professor in the Neuroscience Institute. Her research focuses on the impact of sex and age on pain and opiate responsiveness as well as the impact of early life experience on adult pain and stress responsiveness. She obtained her Ph.D. in Neurobiology from the University of Cincinnati and completed her post-doctoral training at the Rijksuniversiteit in Groningen, Netherlands before joining the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Lakeyta Bonnette-Bailey

African-American Studies Scholar

Lakeyta Bonnette-Bailey is an Associate Professor of African American Studies at Georgia State University with research interests in Hip Hop culture, political behavior, political attitudes, African-American politics, political psychology and public opinion. Her current research examines the impact of political rap music on racial attitudes. In 2015, her book, Pulse of the People: Rap Music and Black Political Attitudes, was published. In 2018, she was a Nasir Jones/ W. E. B. Du Bois fellow with the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Later that year she completed two talks in Ingelheim and Kaiserslautern, Germany discussing the relevance and importance of rap music, activism and social justice and she received her certificate in psychoanalysis from Emory University’s Psychoanalytic Institute.

Lala Mint Zahabi

International Student + Activist

Lala Barka Mint Zahabi is an international student at Georgia State University majoring in Communication with a concentration in Public Policy and Administration. She is originally from Mali and moved to Atlanta for her higher education. Before graduating high school in Bamako, she lived in several countries on the African continent and speaks six languages. Her multicultural background allowed her to see the world from what she calls a "global perspective." She is very passionate about African crisis, and the way her continent is portrayed in the media. After moving to Atlanta, she experienced a cultural shock through insensitive stereotypes that motivated her to educate her peers about her continent. As a high achieving student, she always took the opportunity to write or speak about Africa during her time at GSU. Lala is determined to be part of the next generation of African leaders who want to rebrand the image of the continent.

Mary Fernandes

Neuropsychologist + Student

Mary Fernandes is a Clinical Neuropsychology Ph.D. student researching how anxiety affects individuals and their relationships with others. She is mentored by Dr. Erin Tone, director of the Lab for the Study of Anxiety and Relationships (L-STAR). Mary earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Animal Science from the University of Maryland and is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Within the L-STAR lab, she uses behavioral, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging methods to study thought and behavior patterns associated with anxiety. One of her projects uses measures of pupil diameter to differentiate anxious response patterns from more healthy ones. Her presentations at the GSU 3-Minute-Thesis Competition and the American Psychological Association Psych-Science-in-3 competition, both garnered first place. Mary hopes to pursue a career in mental health policy to advocate for universal access to mental health and substance use services.

Mia-Simone Green

Psychology Student

Mia-Simone Green is a junior psychology student at Georgia State University. She is Charlotte native who moved to the Atlanta area with her family. While she has always had a passion for psychology, her love time at GSU has sparked an interest in critical theory and analysis. Green is particularly interested in how psychology can be implemented in structural analyses of groups and organizations. As a part of the GSU Honors College, she is a diligent student with a love for academics and plans to pursue graduate school with an interest in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Outside of school, Green has a strong love for music and is an avid hip-hop fan. She curates playlists and discusses music with her friends in her free time.

Patrick Freer

Music Educator + Competitive Bodybuilder

Patrick K. Freer is interested in the singing of adolescent boys . . . or not. Why do many boys love singing as youngsters but stop in young adolescence? Patrick was one of those boys; he stopped singing because his music teacher did not know what to do with his changing voice. Patrick’s research with boys in nearly 30 countries shows that there is more than the changing voice at play, and there is much we can learn from boys about the types of singing instruction they want during the pivotal teenage years. Dr. Freer is Professor of Music Education at Georgia State University. He holds degrees from Columbia University and Westminster Choir College. He has presented research and conducted concerts worldwide, has published over 120 articles in most of the field’s leading national & international research journals, and is Editor of the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing. He is a former competitive bodybuilder who was ranked 4th in the USA with appearances on ESPN.

Rubina Malik

Business Leaders + Global Citizen

Rubina F. Malik is a business professor, global citizen, and scholar. As a scholar-practitioner, she combines academic research, industry and teaching experience to develop a unique and powerful approach to her work. She is skilled at helping organizations and individuals successfully navigate the realm of career sponsorship and leadership development for engagement, retention, and promotion of diverse candidates. All of the initiatives are aimed at creating sustainable skills that offer enhanced performance and greater profitability. Competitive edge-driving organizations from start-ups to Fortune 500 global brands depend on her support and expertise to propel programs such as mentoring, career sponsorship and leadership development. She is a popular speaker and is frequently published in industry magazines, including the highly-respected Harvard Business Review. She demonstrates her passion and commitment to the community by serving on several non-profit boards.