In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Reynolds Auditorium
Science Drive
Durham, North Carolina, 27708
United States

Adam Chandler

Adam D. Chandler is a lawyer and speechwriter at the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition to briefing and arguing appeals in antitrust cases, Chandler has vetted fifteen of President Obama’s judicial nominees and prepped them for Senate confirmation hearings. Forbes named Chandler one of its “30 Under 30 in Law & Policy” in 2014, and in 2013, Chandler published a widely circulated coming-out essay in the New York Times. Chandler earned his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2011; a master’s degree from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar; and a B.S. in mathematics from Duke University.

Alison Adcock

Dr. Adcock received her MD and PhD from Yale University. She completed a residency in psychiatry and a postdoctoral fellowship at University of California San Francisco, and is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Benjamin Reese

Benjamin Reese is vice president of the Office for Institutional Equity at Duke University and Duke University Health System and a licensed clinical psychologist. His office oversees diversity, inclusion, affirmative action/equal opportunity activities and harassment/discrimination prevention for the university and the health system. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Community & Family Medicine.

Jaehoon Sung

A first-year student from South Korea studying in Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University.

Jessica Ruhle

Jessica Ruhle is the Manager of Public Programs at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Jessica established and directs Reflections: The Nasher Museum’s Alzheimer’s Project. Started in 2014, this program provides engaging and interactive museum tours to visitors with memory loss and their care partners.

Pooja Mehta

I am a junior, majoring in Biology and Global Health. In Global Health, I’m focusing on mental health and hope to get a degree in Psychiatric Epidemiology (yes, it’s a thing). Currently, I am running a small business called Cupcake Remake, and the rest of my time goes to advocating for Mental Health and well-being, and for Mental Illness awareness. I am a founder of Duke’s NAMI chapter, and serve as a senator on DSG for Equity and Outreach, with a focus on improving mental well-being and psychiatric resources on campus. My goal is to reduce and remove the misconceptions and stigma that surrounds mental illnesses, and pioneer a societal change that prioritizes physical and mental well-being and facilitates a healthier environment for all.

Ted Yavuzkurt

Ted Yavuzkurt is a Duke University Senior dual majoring in Public Policy and Computer Science. He previously had two false starts at Duke, eventually leaving as a junior. He then took several years away from campus to work and search for a better approach to life. Since returning, he spends his time on academics, writing for the Duke Chronicle, and working on a social entrepreneurship project developed at the 2016 Winter Forum. Outside of school, Ted’s interests include piano, technology, and mindfulness. He is a pragmatic idealist, always seeking achievable ways to improve the world.

Thabit Pulak

Thabit is currently a sophomore at Duke, majoring in Environmental Sciences and Policy. Thabit is interested in working to solve environmental problems in the developing world, with a particular emphasis on solving public health problems. He currently runs a non-profit organization called iKormi, which aims to provide clean and affordable drinking water for villages in Bangladesh through the manufacturing of sustainably built water filters made with local labor and materials. He is also the head coordinator of water filter operations at the Sabrina Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Bangladesh which works on improving the state of a variety of causes, ranging from education to public health. Thabit was a 2014 Texan of the Year finalist (alongside people like Ted Cruz and George Bush) , as well as one of 40 finalists nationwide of the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search.