DU grad student Eva Hakansson spoke about the power of electricity at TEDxDU.
With the success of the TEDxDU’s celebration of “DUing” earlier this year, the University has decided to “DU” it again.
The University of Denver will host the second TEDxDU on May 13, 2011, at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts. Organizers currently are accepting nominations for speakers and performers.
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At TED conferences, world-leading scientists, philosophers, entrepreneurs and artists present their ideas in 18 minutes or less. These talks are shared online at TED.com, and have been viewed more than 319 million times. At a TEDx event — such as TEDxDU in May 2010 — a group of innovators and activists share their ideas and actions that are shaping the world. TEDxDU is licensed by TED, a non-profit organization dedicated to ideas worth sharing. DU was a pioneer in the creation of TEDx events, which now number more than 700 events in 82 countries.
“We live in an exciting time in history as the sciences, technology, and a general understanding of the world are advancing at an ever increasing pace,” says DU student John Ketelsen, who plans to volunteer at TEDxDU 2011. “TED, to me, is an embodiment of this idea by taking speakers from the forefront of their respective fields and making their ideas available to the world.”
Last year’s TEDxDU featured DU alumni, faculty, current students and other individuals chosen based on the power of their ideas. International Peace Initiatives founder Karambu Ringera (PhD human communication studies ’07) talked about her work with women and children in Africa. Dan Linseman, an assistant professor in DU’s Department of Biological Sciences and a senior researcher with DU’s Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, shared his promising research on Lou Gehrig’s disease. Phil Tedeschi, a professor in DU’s Graduate School of Social Work and clinical director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, shared surprising data about people’s relationships with pets.
There also were musical performances by the Spirituals Project Choir, Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit of the Flobots, DU music professor/aerophonist Art Bouton and social work student Regan Linton.
The event welcomes all types of speakers and performers from inside and outside the DU community.
If you know a person — yourself included — who can share engaging ideas, personal stories, give a memorable performance or express innovative ways of thinking that could effectively change the world, nominate them at the TEDxDU website.
Nominations close Dec. 1, 2010.