Three from UALR selected for TEDxMarkhamSt event

Two faculty members and the winner of the 2016 student speaking competition will represent the University of Arkansas at Little Rock during central Arkansas’s own TED event Sept. 30 at the Ron Robinson Theater.  In its second year, TEDxMarkhamSt is a program of local and self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to spreading ideas. TEDxMarkhamSt 2016 will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30. The lineup will feature 14 talented speakers covering innovations in education, health, technology, and the arts. Speakers from UALR include:

• Dr. Julien Mirivel, associate professor of speech communication and interim associate dean for student success, instruction, and engagement in the College of Social Sciences and Communication
• Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira, director of the Emerging Analytics Center
• Rupa Dash, one of the winners of the 2016 student speaker competition hosted at Webster University

Related: Student places first at TEDx student competition

Mirivel, who was nominated for TEDxMarkhamSt by his department chair, Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, will speak about the power of positive communication and how to communicate well with others. “I do a lot of public speaking in the community, and it’s exciting to be able to share that in a different format,” Mirivel said. “I am trying to inspire people to communicate well at home and at work and tell them how to create great relationships. I really believe there is nothing more important than how we communicate.” Additional speakers include:

• Dr. Yang Luo-Branch – senior GIS analyst at Arkansas Economic Development Commission/owner and architectural illustrator at Y Illustrations
• Holly Fish – director of human resources and branding for EGP, PLLC Certified Public Accountants & Consultants
• Christina Littlejohn – executive director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
• Ana Kilani – founder and CEO of Greenhaus x Sustainable
• Dr. T. Glenn Pait – director of the T. Glenn Pait Spine Clinic at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Jackson T. Stephens Spine Institute
• Nicole Hart – CEO of ARVets
• Dr. Michael Moore – vice president for academic affairs for the University of Arkansas System and chief academic officer of eVersity
• Deni Ellis Béchard – author, photographer, and activist
• Tim Whitley – president and CEO of Team SI
• Douglas Hutchings – founder and CEO of Silicon Solar Solutions and Picasolar Inc.
• Michael Watson (Clinton School student speaker) – founder of The Watson Foundation and the Watson Institute

An art show will be held concurrently with the conference in the atrium of the Ron Robinson Theater. Attendees will also have an opportunity to network at an on-site lunch event and an off-site dinner event. The event will be streamed live on the web. Also, people can watch from satellite locations set up in Little Rock. Learn more about the speakers on the TEDxMarkhamSt website. Tickets also can be purchased online. For more information, follow TEDxMarkhamSt on Facebook and Twitter. In the upper right photo, Dr. Julien Mirivel (left), Rupa Dash (middle), and Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira (right) have been selected to speak at the TEDxMarkhamSt event on Sept. 30.