Theme: Pioneer

TEDxAmherst is an annual conference that spreads ideas and provokes discussion within Amherst community.

1 Campus Center Way
Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003
United States

T

Withelma “T” Ortiz Walker Pettigrew spent the first 18 years of her life in the U.S. foster care system and for seven of them she was victimized by sex traffickers in streets, strip clubs and massage parlors. Now a college student, T has become a beacon of hope, raising her voice against the world’s $96 billion human-trafficking industry, which exploits 27 million victims, including millions of youths and children. Testifying last October before Congress, T turned her words into action, offering practical tools to improve the child-welfare system. She was awarded the Time Top 100 Most Influential Person for 2014 and Glamour Woman of the Year 2011.

David Raether

Raether spent twelve years as a TV comedy writer, including a 111-episode stint on the ground-breaking "Roseanne." He had a house in a wealthy suburb of Los Angeles and a large happy family. In 2001, he stepped away from television to spend more time with his family. When he attempted to return two years later, the industry had changed and he was unable to find work. He ended up homeless. He chronicled the breakup of his family and his descent into homelessness in the ensuing years in a memoir, "Tell Me Something, She Said" and an essay, "What It's Like to Fail", which brought him global recognition. His story has been featured in the Times of London and other media outlets in Europe.

Fadel Adib

Fadel Adib is a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. He researches wireless technologies that see through walls, track human motion, and monitor human vital signs. His research has been covered by venues like Boston Globe, The Guardian, NBC News, BBC Focus, Discovery News, and Wired. His research on X-ray vision was also included in the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory's (CSAIL's) “50 Ways MIT has Transformed Computer Science” over the past 50 years.

Gus Morales

Gus Morales is the current president of the Holyoke Teacher’s Association and a teacher for Holyoke Public Schools. In 2014, Gus was laid off by the Holyoke Public School system for criticizing a directive to post students’ names and test scores on the walls of their classrooms. After an investigation by the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations which ruled in his favor, he was subsequently rehired. At TEDxAmherst 2015, Gus will talk about how we can reshape education to better serve the needs of our children

John Murray

Trained in physics, John D. Murray is currently a postdoctoral researcher at New York University in the field of computational neuroscience. Dr. Murray develops mathematical models that simulate networks of neurons to understand how psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia arise from brain circuit dysfunction. At TEDxAmherst, he will describe challenges in the search to understand mechanisms underlying mental illnesses, and the potential for “Computational Psychiatry” in this endeavor.

Louise Harpman

Scott Specht and Louise Harpman are architects who focus on improving the built environment by incorporating sustainable strategies, utilizing appropriate technologies, and collaborating with local craftspeople. They have won many awards for developing unique and unexpected solutions that resonate with the social and environmental contexts of each project.

Priyanka Bakaya

Priyanka Bakaya is currently CEO at PK Clean, which has a vision to end plastic waste forever by converting landfill-bound plastics into high value fuels. The company’s first demonstration of its process at commercial scale is in Salt Lake City, Utah. They have signed a contract for their next unit and will also be expanding to developing markets such as India and Africa. Bakaya has previously been selected as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, a Lightspeed Venture Fellow and named to the Fortune 40 under 40 Ones to Watch List, and Forbes 30 under 30 List in Energy. She is a graduate of MIT and Stanford University with Honors.

Richard Jadick

Dr. Jadick was a lieutenant commander in the US Navy, assigned as a battalion surgeon. While serving in Iraq, Dr. Jadick witnessed a Marine bleed to death before being able to receive medical care. This inspired him to establish an emergency room on the battlefield where wounded Marines could receive treatment within minutes of being injured. His innovative approach to urgent medical attention during battle is credited with saving the lives of 30 lives during the Second Battle of Fallujah that would have otherwise been lost. His fascinating story has been covered in Newsweek magazine, the Daily Show, and his own 2008 memoir "On Call in Hell: A Doctor's Iraq War Story".

Russell Weatherspoon

In Russell Weatherspoon's TEDxAmherst talk, he talks about what he is most passionate about -- love. Russell was appointed instructor in religion at Exeter in 1987 and served as dean of residential life from 2001 to 2011. He was dorm head of Cilley Hall for 13 years and chair of the Religion Department from 1995 to 2000. He has taught in the English and theater departments, and has coached girls junior varsity basketball since 1987. He has also served on numerous committees, including the diversity, attendance, health and wellness, and assembly committees.

Scott Specht

Scott Specht and Louise Harpman are architects who focus on improving the built environment by incorporating sustainable strategies, utilizing appropriate technologies, and collaborating with local craftspeople. They have won many awards for developing unique and unexpected solutions that resonate with the social and environmental contexts of each project.

Shirley Leung

Shirley Leung writes a business column for The Boston Globe. Previously, she served as the Globe's business editor and oversaw several magazines — Globe 100, Top Places to Work, and Diversity Boston. Prior to the Globe, Shirley worked at the Wall Street Journal and Baltimore Sun. Shirley is also a regular contributor to New England Cable News' "This Week in Business" and makes guest appearances on local radio and national TV shows including CNBC. Shirley is a graduate of Princeton University.

Susan Bissell

As UNICEF's Child Protection Section chief, Dr. Bissell works tirelessly to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against children in 170 countries. Ms. Bissell has received multiple awards for her work, including the Dr. Jean Mayar Global Citizenship award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.