TEDxUGA 2019: 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.
Leslie Amanda Anderson
Leslie Amanda Anderson is a third-year PhD student in Human Development and Family Science with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. She earned her bachelor’s in Psychology from Tougaloo College and her master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern Mississippi. Leslie is a licensed marriage and family therapist at the ASPIRE Clinic and co-teaches Parenting and Child Guidance in the College of Family and Consumer Science. Leslie hopes to inspire her audience to think systematically about the notion of resilience and the conditions that necessitate it in modern American society.
Nethra Rajendran
Nethra Rajendran is a third-year student from Marietta, Georgia majoring in Management Information Systems and International Business as well as pursuing a certificate of sustainability. In the future, she would love to be the director of sustainability for a large company. In her talk, Rajendran hopes to convey that sustainability is a long-term investment and that our natural environment is our greatest asset.
Abhyjit Kheepal
Abhyjit Kheepal is a fourth-year undergraduate studying Finance. On campus, he is involved with the Visitors Center, The Arch Society, and he serves as the student liaison for The Office of the Provost. Outside of the classroom, Abhy enjoys hiking, photography, and spending time with friends. In his talk with Aumber Sharma, Kheepal discusses how the constant threat of societal and parental factors causes students to focus more on grades than learning, leaving our education system ineffective when it comes to allowing students to explore their passions.
Cullen MacDonald
Cullen MacDonald is a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in Psychology and Cognitive Science. He is a resident assistant for the Building 1516 community and serves on the Student Staff Advisory Board for University Housing. His passion for philosophy and psychology led him to study social interactions in elevators throughout campus. Through his talk, MacDonald hopes to encourage others to use elevators more mindfully, so they can enjoy a greater sense of community, confidence, and calmness.
MK Manoylov
MK Manoylov is a fourth-year undergraduate earning their bachelor’s degrees in Ecology and English. They write about entomophagy, the practice of eating insects, for The Red and Black and Ampersand Magazine and have attended the Eating Insects Athens Conference, which made them even more interested in entomophagy communication. With their talk, Manoylov hopes to spread awareness about the positive effects of eating bugs, both for people and the environment.
Natalie Morean
Natalie Morean is a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in Human Development and Family Science with plans to pursue a master’s degree in nonprofit management. She is an ambassador for her college, a resident assistant with University Housing, and a member of multiple honor societies on campus. As a student, she has been awarded the 2018 President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award and the 2018 Tucker Dorsey Memorial Scholarship Award to highlight her academic achievement and dedication to service within Athens Clarke County. In her talk, Morean hopes to encourage more individuals to get engaged and involved within their local communities.
Aumber Sharma
Aumber Sharma is a fourth-year undergraduate studying Finance and International Affairs. On campus, he is involved with The Arch Society, the Indian Cultural Exchange, and Delta Sigma Pi. When not studying, Aumber enjoys backpacking, traveling and watching the NBA. In his talk with Abyjit Kheepal, Sharma discusses how the constant threat of societal and parental factors causes students to focus more on grades than learning, leaving our education system ineffective when it comes to allowing students to explore their passions.
Anjali Sindhuvalli
Anjali Sindhuvalli is a second-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Terry College of Business. She recently attended a national meditation conference organized by the Heartfulness Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating others on the benefits of meditation, where she worked alongside neuroscientists researching the effects of meditation. She has also lead workshops and open houses about meditation in her community and at local libraries. Sindhuvalli’s goal with this talk is to bring focus to the benefits daily meditation can provide and inspire schools and businesses to implement meditation practices into the workplace.