Clemson students to hold TEDx event at Watt Family Innovation Center

CLEMSON — Organized by a group of Clemson students, the popular TEDx series returns to the university’s main campus with a special event planned for Saturday, March 9, in the Watt Family Innovation Center. More than 100 students, faculty and staff will be engaged through eight different talks — including four from current Clemson students — as well as video presentations and guest performances.

“We are happy to announce this year’s event is sold out, but we also want to expand it in the years to come,” said Jade Richard, president of TEDxClemsonU and a junior biological sciences major. “We want to thank the IT Student Advisory Board for helping us make this year’s event happen. Bringing the caliber of speakers we have lined up provides a great opportunity for Clemson students to hear from people who encourage different ways of thinking at a very minimal cost.”

TEDxClemsonU is a structured, independent platform that brings together students, professionals and community leaders to share ideas and put an end to a confining design of behavior by doing things in a markedly different way. This year’s theme, “Breaking the Mold,” strives to exploit the unexplored potential of the strong and diverse sense of community in Clemson.

Check-in for the event begins at 9 a.m. in the lobby area of the Watt Center. TEDx begins with introductions, a short video and a welcome from the event emcee at 10 a.m.

The complete list of speakers is:

Michael Arnold (presentation: “The Cure for Lazy Leadership”) lives in Anderson and was a mechanical engineer before giving way to a career in quality improvement innovation.

Rebecca Heiss (presentation: “Grin & Bear It: Breaking Through our Biology to Consciously Craft Our Stories”) is the founder and CEO of Icueity, a self-awareness app designed to help individuals reach their full potential.

Leslie Lewis (presentation: “Women at West Point”) is a doctoral student at Clemson in the educational leadership program. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, she served as a military intelligence officer and is doing her dissertation on the intersection of women and leadership at West Point.

Emily Scircle (presentation: “Artificial Life is Wrecking Your Life”) is a Clemson senior and undergraduate researcher studying language and international public health (with an emphasis in Spanish and hospital administration). Originally a preferred walk-on for the Tigers’ varsity rowing team, she left the squad in 2016 after being diagnosed with narcolepsy. She has since used this experience to study human stress and fatigue and how it intersects with exposure to bright light.

Christian Steinmetz (presentation: “How Algorithms May Help You Discover Your Next Favorite Song”) is a Clemson double major in electrical engineering and audio technology. He works as a producer and engineer and researches artificial intelligence in the context of music production.

Addie Stone (presentation: “Why You Should Have a Hand in American Agriculture”) is a Clemson junior majoring in agribusiness and minoring in Spanish. She is the president of the student-led Agribusiness Association and a member of Chi Omega.

Shea Tolbert (presentation: “Digital Dentistry and 3D Printing Applications”) is a cosmetic and general dentist who practices full-time in Greenville. He is a graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina and other prominent dental programs. An adjunct professor at Clemson, he is the founder and CEO of Launch Digital Dentistry.

Brandon Xavier (presentation: “The Human Gut: Our Second Brain”) is a Clemson senior majoring in microbiology. Slated to graduate in May 2019, he plans to attend medical school and is interested in health and wellness.