Theme: Truth and Dare

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).

800 S Tucker Drive
Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74104
United States

Bradley Brummel

Dr. Bradley Brummel is an Associate Professor of Psychology at The University of Tulsa with a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on professional development, personality, and employee engagement. Dr. Brummel is currently a Co-Primary Investigator on two National Science Foundation grants researching methods to enhance the ethical and professional development of engineering students. His research has been published widely in journals including Personnel Psychology, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Human Relations, and Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice. Dr. Brummel teaches courses in Training and Development, Job Attitudes and Motivation, Assessment of Individual Differences, and the Psychology of Work. He also provides professional development coaching services and is certified to give feedback on Hogan Assessment System’s personality measures.

Colby Deweese

Colby Deweese is a Senior chemical engineer at the University of Tulsa. For the past year he has worked with statistical genomics at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. He was recently accepted to pursue his PhD in computational biology and bio informatics at Yale.

John Henshaw

John M. Henshaw, P.E., Ph.D., is Department Chair and Harry H. Rogers Professor of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Tulsa. He holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and the University of Delaware. His research interests are in lightweight materials for automotive applications and in devices for persons with disabilities. He teaches courses in engineering design and in materials science and has received more than 20 teaching awards during his 25-year career. Professor Henshaw’s goal as an author is to tell interesting stories about science and technology for inquisitive readers from all walks of life. To date, he has published three books with the Johns Hopkins University Press.

Laurette Lynn

Laurette Lynn is a Professional Communication Consultant, award-winning presenter, entrepreneur, Mother and advocate for women. She currently hosts a podcast for female entrepreneurs and working mothers and has suddenly hosted a previous podcast for several years. An accomplished author and entrepreneur, Laurette has long been an advocate for challenging conformity and is passionate about helping women overcome adversity and develop confidence. Laurette currently serves as President of a youth theatre organization and dedicates service to the Tulsa community by teaching professional skills and powerful communication for teen girls.

Meg Smith

Meg is a junior at the University of Tulsa studying the Biological Sciences and French. Though she aspires to a career in pediatric medicine, Meg spends much of her free time writing. Ever since she wrote her first poem six years ago, she has been captivated by the powerful art of expression that lies within both written and spoken poetry. Meg’s work has been featured in Stylus, TU’s student literary journal, and she is thrilled to perform at TEDxUniversityofTulsa for the second year in a row!

Olivia Rogers

Olivia Rogers grew up in the greater Kansas City area, where she attended public school, kicked a ball around on various sports teams, and tried out for many a middle school chorus. She was your average every day kid except for her immense love of reading, knowledge, and all things intellectual. By middle school people had given up trying to convince her that reading while walking down the sidewalk was dangerous and the hours past midnight were for sleeping. She found her niche in academics and spent most of her early education waiting anxiously to reach the next level of schooling. Now, at age twenty, Olivia will graduate in May with degrees in Economics and Business Management, and in a surprising turn of events, the next step does not involve graduate school. As the end of her academic career approaches, she has been left wondering what’s next.

Todd Otanicar

Dr. Todd Otanicar is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at TU. When he left GE Aircraft Engines to get a PhD he had an interest in pursuing renewable energy. Little did he know that would mean studying about nanoparticles and heat transfer. Over the years he has used this knowledge to develop a new type of solar energy technology that produces both heat and electricity simultaneously. Our group is building a demonstration of this system at TUs north campus with support from the US Department of Energy ARPA-E program. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Oklahoma.

Zachary Qualls

Before joining the Museum Science Management program led by Dr. Robert Pickering as a graduate student in the fall of 2016, Zachary Qualls received his B.F.A in Art History from the University of Central Oklahoma. Currently a Digital Collections Assistant in the Digital Collections department at Gilcrease Museum under Diana Folsom, Zachary was previously a Museum Associate and the Coordinator of Visitor Relations at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee, OK.He has worked extensively with cataloging, researching, and photographing several private collections and has acted as the liaison for the Kirkpatrick Foundation Affiliated Fund’s & Gifts of Perry and Angela Tennyson Collection of African and Oceanic Art on permanent loan to the University of Central Oklahoma. Mr. Qualls’ main interest in museums is the dissemination of histories and their effects on understanding cultural identity and how people perceive art out of context.