TEDxUGA: Dark Mode
Sometimes the brightest ideas emerge from contrast. Like switching to dark mode, a shift in perspective can bring the hidden into focus. These ideas whisper from the edges, glow with possibility, and take shape in the spaces we often overlook. At TEDxUGA 2026, we invite you to discover what lies beyond the visible. Join us as we shift into Dark Mode.
Alex Mason
Alex Mason is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre and Film and a lighting designer whose work spans musical theatre, opera, drama, dance, and installation art. His professional work explores vibrant color, bold lines, unexpected angles, and innovative uses of technology to create immersive, accessible experiences for diverse audiences.
In his talk, Mason examines the meaning of color and its profound impact on our daily lives and overall well-being. By understanding the science and cultural significance of color, he shows how we can intentionally shape our environments and ourselves through its thoughtful use.
Dr. Arpita Shome
Dr. Arpita Shome is a Postdoctoral Associate in the College of Engineering whose research spans chemical, materials, and biomedical engineering. By bridging chemistry and material engineering, she creates surfaces that protect medical devices from infection and clot formation, guide liquid behavior, and reduce buildup to prevent pollution before it occurs, rather than relying solely on cleanup afterward.
Dr. Shome focuses on engineering advanced polymer-based materials, such as sponges and membranes, that selectively separate oil from water, enabling practical, cost-effective treatment in real-world and wastewater settings. In her talk, she illustrates how small, intelligent surface designs can create meaningful advances in environmental protection and sustainability.
Anne Byrn
Anne Byrn is a New York Times bestselling food writer and a 1978 cum laude graduate with a double major in Home Economics and Journalism. She served as the food editor of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution for 15 years, has written 16 cookbooks, and is a contributor to Southern Living magazine and The Bitter Southerner.
Through her latest book, Baking in the American South, Anne discovered how recipes act as cultural artifacts, revealing our past and deepening our understanding of one another. In her talk, she explores the geographical, historical, and emotional value recipes hold, inviting the audience to see food as a powerful lens into who we are and where we come from.
Dyci Sfregola
Dyci Sfregola is an author and digital supply chain leader who helps organizations build resilient, ethical, and data-driven value chains. As the Founder & CEO of New Gen Architects, she guides companies toward growth and sustainability through AI-powered material flow and network design.
Dyci’s belief that “supply chains can save the world” fuels her mission to help businesses and communities build better, faster, and with less waste. In her talk, she reveals how everyday choices – from a morning coffee to a phone upgrade – ripple through global networks of people, and challenges the audience to see themselves as co-designers of more ethical, resilient systems.
Celia Nowlin
Celia Nowlin is a board-certified music therapist and Master of Music Therapy candidate in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music whose clinical and research work centers on the neurobiological power of music in therapeutic settings. She applies this expertise across diverse clinical environments, including developmental disability services and pediatric medical units.
In her talk, Celia explores how the body’s natural rhythms, such as the heartbeat and breath, can be influenced through music to support regulation and wellness, regardless of musical ability. She invites the audience to engage intentionally with music and to connect with their own internal rhythm as a pathway to groundedness and well-being.
Harshaa Rajarajan
Harshaa Rajarajan is a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering student in the College of Engineering, with a deep personal interest in neuroscience and philosophy. His curiosity about how people function, emotionally and cognitively, inspires him to search for meaning in unexpected places, such as animated films.
Drawing from WALL-E, Harshaa invites the audience to examine the habits, expectations, and fears that quietly guide our lives. Through his talk, he explores how rewiring our inner “programming” can shift us from simply surviving to truly living.
Mary Rathbone
Mary Rathbone is the Executive Director and Founder of Moms Adopting Moms, Inc., an Athens-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming the foster care system by accelerating reunification with biological parents and helping families thrive long-term. With more than three decades of combined experience across the hospitality, technology, and social impact sectors, Mary brings a blend of corporate leadership, cross-cultural insight, and lived experience to her mission.
In her talk, Mary shares her journey as a foster parent to twelve children while illuminating the realities, misconceptions, and systemic challenges within the foster care system. She invites the audience to consider the powerful impact of community support and to reimagine what’s possible when we help biological mothers reunify with their children more quickly and sustainably.
Nic Laconico
Emcee
Nic Laconico is a Macon, Georgia native who holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and an MBA from Georgia Tech and a master’s degree in education from the University of Georgia. Nic has spent his entire professional career at the University of Georgia, supporting students through academic advising, career counseling, undergraduate admissions, and new student orientation. He currently serves as the Director for Industry and Foundation Relations, where he plays a key role in advancing the University’s industry engagement efforts through leading a suite of professional development opportunities to connect industry around campus, guiding communication strategy to celebrate corporate and foundation partnerships, and supports university-wide strategic initiatives.