TEDxUGA 2022: Wonder
It’s no small wonder that transformation starts with one: one person, one muse, one idea. A single stroke of inspiration has the power to unite communities in pursuit of dreams that exist at the crossroads of the unfamiliar and the awe-inspiring. At the University of Georgia, we marvel at the extraordinary stories, enchanting ideas, and boundless research that reinvent our world and reimagine our future. TEDxUGA 2022 will pave a new path forward with ideas that inspire curiosity, expand imagination, and awaken wonder.
Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn
Dr. Grace Ahn is the founding Director of the Games and Virtual Environments Lab, a cutting-edge virtual technology lab dedicated to bringing students and faculty into the world of VR. A renowned researcher and Associate Professor in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Dr. Ahn studies how immersive environments influence our attitudes and behaviors in the physical world. In her talk, Dr. Ahn explores how emerging technologies can change the way we see the world.
David Cotten
Dr. David Cotten is a Senior Research and Development Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. As a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, he led efforts that directly contributed to space discovery and exploration. Dr. Cotten helped establish the UGA Small Satellite Research Laboratory, a campus organization that develops and launches innovative technologies into space. Throughout his involvement with the laboratory, he mentored over 100 undergraduate students, participated in outreach initiatives to teach kindergarten to 12th grade students about space-based research, and assisted with UGA’s first satellite launch. In his talk, Dr. Cotten explains how space is more accessible now than it has ever been.
Marques Dexter
Marques Dexter is the Assistant Director of Student Initiatives in the Office of Institutional Diversity and interim Director of the Georgia African American Male Experience program. As a former collegiate track and field coach and current doctoral candidate in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, Marques researches the identity development of high-achieving black male athletes. He is very passionate about athlete activism and how it can change society for the better. At TEDxUGA 2022: Wonder, Marques explores how intellectual activism can encourage present and future generations to stand up for humanity.
Darrell Blocker
Darrell Blocker is the Chief Operating Officer at the boutique strategic risk and crisis management, intelligence, and security advisory firm MOSAIC. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Darrell served 32 years as an intelligence officer in the Air Force and the Central Intelligence Agency. Darrell received the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal upon retirement and was recognized as the most senior black officer in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations. Now, he creates espionage-themed content in Hollywood and volunteers with nonprofits dedicated to improving the future of youth in foster care and countering the exploitation and human trafficking of youth and women. In his talk, Darrell speaks on why the world should be a kinder place.
Charlie Mustard
Charlie Mustard is the longtime head roaster at Jittery Joe’s, an Athens-based coffee roasting company. He earned his Master of Science in Foods and Nutrition. As a proud Athenian of 29 years and an engaged community member, Charlie takes the TEDxUGA stage to speak on the importance of community participation and how you can make your own home unique.
Sudhan Chitgopkar
Sudhan Chitgopkar is an undergraduate student studying Computer Science and International Affairs. Sudhan is fascinated by mathematical visualizations and creates generative art, a type of artwork created using algorithms and autonomous systems. He combines code, mathematics, and nature to explore patterns that we encounter in our everyday lives. At TEDxUGA 2022: Wonder, Sudhan demonstrates what a middle school math education can teach us about nature’s most beautiful patterns.
Jack Harth
Jack Harth is a doctoral student studying Neuroscience in the College of Public Health. He currently studies the human visual system and researches the role of cognitive health on lifespan development in the Institute of Gerontology. In his talk, Jack shares his personal experience with trauma and brain injury, the neuroscience of recovery and health, and how everyone can unlock the potential within their own brain.
Emmy Peach
Emmy Peach is an undergraduate majoring in Psychology with an emphasis in Neuroscience and a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences. At the age of 19, she received an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis after struggling with social challenges and anxiety for years. In Emmy’s talk, she explores why ASD is under-diagnosed in females and hopes to raise awareness and appreciation of this disorder.
Dominique Holloman
Emcee
Dominique Holloman is a passionate alumna who proudly holds two undergraduate degrees from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, a master’s degree from the Mary Frances Early College of Education, and a Juris Doctorate from the School of Law. A former member of the Board of Visitors and the Law School Alumni Council, she currently serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Dominique was the inaugural president of the affinity group UGA Black Alumni and a member of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2017. In addition to her work as a government affairs professional, she continues to help create a more diverse and dynamic community at UGA.