Theme: Amplify

The drums in a band, the thundering of a storm, the beating of a heart; these are all sounds of life
that surround us in great volume. We hear so many messages through so many channels, all
demanding our attention. Amid all these sounds is a stream of voices seeking justice, searching
for truth, and asking important questions. How do we focus on the idea's worth hearing?
TEDxAustinCollege 2022 aims to amplify these voices in our community. By focusing on our
panel of six speakers, we take their thoughts from silent ideas to powerful discussions to be
heard by all. This conference will empower us to speak up for ourselves and for others - we will
all be amplified together so that our voices cannot be ignored.

Ida Green Communications Building | Nation Theatre
1201 E. Brockett Street
Sherman, Texas, 75090
United States

Caitlin Graves

Knowledge Manager

Caitlin grew up in Granbury, Texas and graduated from Austin College in 2013 where she majored in English and American Studies. She received her master's from Kent State University and doctorate from Abilene Christian University. In her professional life, Caitlin works in Knowledge Management and Organizational Development and Excellence. Additionally, she researches Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) topics within the educational sphere, specifically focusing on belonging and inclusion for marginalized groups. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her wife and their two cats. Also, still not a superhero. Yet.

Felix Harcourt

Assistant Professor of History at Austin College

Felix is an Assistant Professor of History at Austin College whose scholarship is primarily focused on issues of prejudice, politics, and popular culture in the United States. He is the author of Ku Klux Kulture: America and the Klan in the 1920s, and the assistant editor of two volumes of Eleanor Roosevelt’s collected writings. His work has appeared, among other places, on WNYC, the Smithsonian Channel, and CBS Sunday Morning.

Isabella Sada-Nieto

Student at Austin College

Bella is a senior at Austin College, majoring in Latin American Studies and double minoring in International Relations and History. Struggling with countless auto-immune diagnoses, Bella was diagnosed with Amplified Pain Syndrome at the age of eighteen. In the summer of 2019, Bella had the opportunity to go to the Rehabilitation of Amplified Pain Syndrome, a six-week intensive program that allowed Bella to live a normal life without the daily disturbances of pain.

Jennifer Estes

Regional Director for Marketing and PR for Baylor Scott & White

Jennifer is not a Kangaroo, but her husband and children are! She makes her home in Sherman, Texas with husband Todd, son Nick, and cat Bentley (daughter Emily attends medical school). She serves as Regional Director of Marketing & PR for Baylor Scott & White Health which is the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Texas. In her role, she oversees Marketing & PR for three hospitals, along with the Women’s Imaging service line and other special projects. She holds a master's degree in Marketing from Texas A&M Commerce and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Texas at Austin. Jennifer is actively involved in her church and loves leading the outreach ministry and teaching Sunday School. She also enjoys reading biographies, traveling, and musical theater.

Julie Hempel

Director of the Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies at Austin College

Julie is a translator from Spanish to English. Her primary interests are the intersections of race, class, and gender in contemporary Mexican and Chicanx literature, as well as the hybrid identities in Asian-Latin American narrative and poetry. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Latin American literature and teaches at Austin College, where she is also the Director of the Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies. She has translated works by Mexican writers: Aurora Velasco, Carmen Villoro, Erik de Luna, and Peruvian writer: Siu Kam Wen.

Trevor Slansky

Author

Trevor graduated in May ’22 with an environmental studies major and English minor. He is at least 40% sure he knows what he’s doing with his life. He was President of Austin College Thinking Green and a Fulbright scholarship semifinalist. He lives in Denver, Colorado. When he’s not at the gym, you can find him writing his next novel, going on a hike, or plotting his newest scheme for world domination.