Theme: Perception

This year's theme is Perception. Everyone interprets the world in their own way, through a unique lens. Our perception impacts how we color incoming information. Our world view is constructed with satirical, scientific, religious, political, and/or personal thoughts and experiences. At this year's TEDxNSU, we invite speakers with a distinct perspective to offer up ideas that we can use to question the lens through which we view the world and perhaps change our constructions.

Club Box at Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33314
United States

Aadil Vora

NSU alumnus Aadil Vora (2014, B.S. in Biology, Honors and Dual Admission student) is a first-year medical student in the university’s D.O. program. Although most of his time is devoted to becoming a physician, Vora also enjoys the visual and performing arts. At the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, he earned bronze and gold medals for his work in monologues (2011) and musical theatre (2012). Vora cites theatre as a major influence in his decision to study medicine. Acting taught him how to see the world through the eyes of a given character, and he now uses those skills to view clinical experiences through the eyes of his patients. In 2012, Vora coached elementary school students in a creativity competition called Odyssey of the Mind. After studying how children think critically and creatively, he presented his findings. Intrigued by the sources and outcomes of creativity in children, Vora is looking forward to his future pediatrics and psychiatry clinical rotations.

Brittany Calaluca

Brittany Calaluca considers herself a “life chaser.” An NSU undergraduate student majoring in exercise and sport science, she is also a coach, personal trainer, entrepreneur, creative thinker, artist, photographer, jewelry designer, and young woman making her way in the world. “Locally grown,” Calaluca loves the beach, kayaking, and outdoor fitness. In support of her passions, she owns and runs two small businesses: Rawk Sport and Fitness (a fitness coaching company) and Woodstock Peaces (a handmade jewelry company that aims to inspire young, female entrepreneurs). Last November, she spoke at NSU’s Diversity Summit, where she released her latest project, Rawk Sport Magazine, a no-Photoshop publication featuring local community members as the fitness models. Calaluca’s academic achievements include placement on the Dean’s List, membership in the Delta Epsilon Iota honor society, and her role as vice president of NSU’s Exercise Science Student Organization.

Josh Loomis

Joshua S. Loomis, Ph.D., is an associate professor in NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. While earning his doctoral degree at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, he worked primarily on dissecting the mechanisms by which herpes viruses assemble into new particles. His post-doctoral project at the University of Miami was focused on the generation and utilization of oncolytic viruses as a potential treatment for breast cancer. When he joined NSU in 2005, Loomis began teaching a variety of molecular-based courses, including freshman biology, genetics, cellular and molecular biology, immunology, and microbial pathogenesis. His current research interests are focused on characterizing the molecular mechanisms of antiviral agents and the isolation of novel biochemical products from aquatic microorganisms. A devout Christian, he has been actively involved in his church for more than 25 years.

Kate Waites

Kate Waites, Ph.D., is a professor at NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, where her teaching focuses on English and gender studies. A benefactor of the gains won by feminism as a young woman, she proudly embraces the label of “feminist.” Waites has made it the subject of inquiry in her scholarly writing on popular culture and on women’s texts, and its themes and concerns have found their way into her gender studies classes, including the Honors seminar called The “F” Word: Feminism and Culture. The social revolutions of the 1960s-70s—feminism, the Civil Rights Movement, the Gay Rights Movement—reshaped a nation to be closer to the American ideal of equality. Waites’ memoir, Particular Friendships: A Convent Memoir, is set in mid-20th century America and explores the journey of a young woman’s self-identity against the backdrop of second-wave feminism—a story that resonates in the new millennium.

Matthew Ware

Matthew Ware earned a B.S. in Biology from Christopher Newport University in 2012. He is currently pursuing an M.S. in Marine Biology and Marine Environmental Science at NSU’s Oceanographic Center studying coral reef restoration in the Upper Florida Keys. While at the Oceanographic Center, Ware has served as a peer mentor, SGA treasurer, and specialist for the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program. For the past year, he has also worked for NSU’s Academic Dive Program as an instructor and a divemaster, a rewarding position that enables him to share his love of the ocean and advocate for its preservation.

Sarah Bramblette

Sarah Bramblette is a student in NSU’s M.S. in Health Law program. Living with lipedema and lymphedema, she combines her experiences as a patient and a healthcare administrative professional in her advocacy efforts. Despite the daily challenges of living with a chronic medical condition, she uses her positive perspective to win allies in her fight to make the world a better place.

Weylin Sternglanz

Weylin Sternglanz, Ph.D., is an associate professor in NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. He earned his doctoral degree in social psychology at the University of Virginia (2003), where he received the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award and the Maury Pathfinder Award for Best Thesis. His primary research interests and publications are in the areas of interpersonal perception, nonverbal decoding accuracy, deception detection, and empathic accuracy. He is particularly intrigued by how people use verbal and nonverbal cues to infer the thoughts, emotions, and intentions of other people. He has received research funding from Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, and was named Adviser of the Year in 2008 for his role with the honor society. Sternglanz teaches courses in social psychology, research methodology, interpersonal perception, and interpersonal communication. Just for fun, he helps run NSU’s Annual Undergraduate Film Festival.