In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Schwab Auditorium
E Pollock Rd & Pattee Mall
University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802
United States

Abbie La Porta

Abbie La Porta is a third-year undergraduate student at Penn State studying architectural engineering. She is a founding member of Sunrise State College, a local climate justice organization. In college, Abbie has continued local environmental advocacy and stepped into the role of a mentor for other students through Impact Scholars, the Presidential Leadership Academy, and being a teaching assistant. She is someone who fights for her community and is passionate about improving the world she lives in, whether it be through engineering, art, music, or conversations. One of Abbie’s goals in life is to continue addressing the stigma and cultural attitudes surrounding mental illness, especially eating disorders.

Janiyah Davis

Janiyah Davis is a third-year student in the College of the Liberal Arts at the Pennsylvania State University majoring in Criminology and Psychology with enhanced minoring in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies and additional minors in Anthropology and Sociology, and a certificate in Behavioral Health and Counseling Psychology. She is also a graduate student in Penn State’s School of Public Policy. She currently serves as Penn State’s Student Trustee on their Board of Trustees and the President of the Student’s Restorative Justice Initiative, among other positions. She is driven by her desire to interact with others and support her community; however, this desire does not eliminate self-doubt. Her experiences have given her the opportunity to dive deeper into the common battle with imposter syndrome.

Jason Griffith

Dr. Jason Griffith is an Assistant Professor of Literacies and English Language Arts in Penn State’s College of Education. Jason taught middle school and high school English for 12 years before earning a doctorate in English Education from Arizona State University. His research interests include writing pedagogy, adolescent literature, multimodal text intersections, particularly in narrative nonfiction and storytelling, and empowering literacy practices for middle and secondary students as well as preservice teachers.

Michael Middlebrooks

Dr. Michael Middlebrooks is an invertebrate zoologist working at the University of Tampa where he teaches students about the amazing diversity of invertebrate animals. His research interests focus on solar-powered sea slugs, which are able to incorporate chloroplast stolen from algae into their own cells in order to photosynthesize. He is also an avid underwater explorer and scuba diver.

Michael Mitole

Michael Mitole is returning for his second year with TEDxPSU. He is a 3rd year student in the Schreyer Honors College pursuing a degree in Finance. On campus, he has had a wealth of experience with leadership, consulting, speaking, and research.

Murali Haran

Dr. Murali Haran is Professor and Head of the Department of Statistics at Penn State University. He has a PhD in statistics from the University of Minnesota and a BS in computer science with minors in film, mathematics, and statistics from Carnegie Mellon University. His research interests include statistical computing, spatial processes, uncertainty quantification for complex models, and interdisciplinary research in climate science and infectious disease modeling.

Nora Van Horn

Nora Van Horn is a fourth-year Penn State student pursuing majors in Philosophy, Global and International Studies, and Chinese, and a minor in Civic and Community Engagement. Her academic and extracurricular work enables her to grapple with local and global issues, applying ethical theory to analyze what is just — and what is not — and understand how we can cooperatively create a better future.

Patrick Frank

Patrick Frank is a serial entrepreneur designated as one of Forbes 30Under30 for consumer technology, the COO of PatientPartner, and an honoree of FastCompany's World Changing award. Patrick has started and scaled consumer based companies generating more than $100M in revenue throughout his career. His passion for creating has led him to help dozens of aspiring entrepreneurs leave their jobs and build their dreams into revenue generating businesses. Patrick is obsessed with consumer decision making and how technology has evolved human connection through the platforms we use today. His vision is to create a world of empowered entrepreneurs that work together to make the world a better place all through giving back and empowering consumer decision making. This is shared with all his endeavors which all have a charitable giving division that donates back to charities and causes for those in need.

Saptarshi Das

Dr. Saptarshi Das is an Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and member of the Materials Research Institute at Penn State University. He received his B.Eng. degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Jadavpur University, India, and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University and worked at Argonne National Laboratory before joining Penn State. Dr. Das is the recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation CAREER award. Das’ Research Group at Penn State leads a new multidisciplinary area of science, namely biomimetic sensing and neuromorphic computing based on novel materials and devices inspired by various animal brains that allow evolutionary success of the species.

Tarina Ahuja

Tarina Ahuja is a current sophomore studying political empathy at Harvard College. At the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, she serves as the Chair of the CIVICS program and an elected representative of Harvard's student government. Over the summer, she was a fellow at the National Democratic institute and is also the Co-Founder of the Greater Good Initiative and Young Khalsa Girls nonprofit organizations where she works in community organizing, politics, and advocacy to build equity and inclusion.