TEDxUGA 2018: Student Idea Showcase

TEDxUGA Student Presenters are chosen annually through the TEDxUGA Student Idea Showcase. Though the following students were not selected to present at TEDxUGA, their talks demonstrate outstanding qualities and embody true, original ideas worth sharing.

2018 Connect Hands In Huddle Photo

Katherine Russell

Katherine Russell is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Ecology with a minor in German. At the age of 18, she earned her private pilot’s license and has been president of the UGA Aviation Club since her sophomore year. Russell has conducted research in spatial ecology and intends to pursue a career in environmental law. She is also a member of the Franklin Residential College. Russell’s south-Georgia roots have inspired her a deep love and respect for the natural world which she seeks to share through visual media and the written word. In her talk, Russell wants the audience to remember that we should take an aerial point of view when reflecting on how the environmental choices we make ripple out into the landscape.

Rishi Bagga

Rishi Bagga is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Finance. During his time working with AIESEC, a non-profit organization on campus, Bagga started a data analytics team to improve marketing efforts and various internal operations within the organization. In his talk, Bagga hopes to inspire other students at UGA to take a more data-driven approach in the way they lead organizations and to convey the importance of data analysis in our society.

Michael Banks

Michael Banks is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Public Relations. He works as an Orientation Leader in the Office of Admissions. During his childhood, Banks was diagnosed with learning disabilities (LD) including dyslexia and slow processing speeds. After battling these disabilities throughout his time in school, he realized the separation of LD students in classrooms accentuates the stigma surrounding learning disabilities. In his talk, Banks explores how we can provide resources to these students and work to remove the stigma within our education system.

Jason Mizell

Jason Mizell is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Language and Literacy Education with a focus on TESOL and World Languages. Mizell is passionate about working with the community, particularly with the youth. His research and community service emphasize equity in education. Mizell desires that the voices of every community member are heard so that jointly everyone can fully participate in and contribute to the betterment of not only their families but also their communities. In his talk, he encourages students to create a better relationship between the UGA campus and Athens community.

Martin Ward

Martin Ward is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Department of Romance Languages. He is currently working on his dissertation tentatively titled Transforming Masculinities in Contemporary Southern Cone Literature. He is also completing the graduate certificate in Women’s Studies. Ward loves to see other cultures and has traveled to 34 counties so far. In this talk, Ward intends to change the socially-constructed mindset that gender characteristics are innate in order to dispel the many damaging stereotypes about women that constrict both genders.

Ashley Tan

Ashley Tan is a first-year undergraduate studying Computer Science in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She is a member of Women in Tech and the National Center for Women and IT’s Aspirations in Computing Community. Currently, she is working as a Google Cloud Platform Student Innovator with Vaco San Francisco. With this talk, Tan wants to raise awareness about biases among accents in people of color and cultivate an environment that encourages open discussion between various perspectives.

Apurba Banerjee

Apurba Banerjee is finishing her PhD in Polymer, Fiber and Textile Sciences in the Textiles Merchandising and Interiors Department. After completing her undergraduate studies at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai, she went on to Colorado State University to earn her Master of Science. Eager to forge new frontiers in sustainable materials, Banerjee researches algae-based biodegradable plastics that can be used to prepare bio-safe medical devices. In this talk , she intends to present a positive perspective on plastics and inform the public of the urgent need for biodegradable plastics.