Theme: Interdependence

This year’s event will center on the theme of “Interdependence.” We are looking for great stories and big ideas that touch on the many ways that people, organisms, and ideas depend on each other and make each other stronger. Maybe you’re a first generation college student who depended on your professors to get you through school so your family could depend on you. Maybe you manage an ecosystem where each species depends on the others for survival. Maybe you’re an interdisciplinary researcher who brings the insights of different fields together to learn something new. Probably, you’re none of these things! We encourage you to define this theme as broadly as possible as you work on your talk. We’d love to hear from you.

Bruce T. Halle Library Auditorium, Eastern Michigan University
955 West Circle Drive
Ypsilanti, Michigan, 48197
United States

Jim McBee

Co-Founder The Ann Magazine/Journalist

Jim McBee is a co-founder of The Ann magazine, a monthly news magazine for Washtenaw County that’s in its sixth year. The Ann is the third startup print publication he’s been involved in. He’s been an editor, designer and supervisor in newspaper newsrooms across America. He believes solutions to journalism’s problems will come from independent rather than mainstream, corporate media.

John Weiss

Director of Strategic initiatives at Neutral Zone

I have been working with youth and youth serving settings my entire professional life, for over 25 years. I have worked in a variety of nationally and locally renowned settings including: the San Francisco Conservation Corps, the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation and the Neutral Zone. I have also served as a teacher in the Willow Run and Ypsilanti Schools districts. Throughout my service there has been a heavy emphasis on youth voice and decision making, youth empowerment, and youth-adult partnerships. I’ve learned and seen how these concepts work (and fail to work) in schools, after-school programs, municipal settings, arts organizations, libraries, health centers and human service organizations.

La' Ron Williams

Storyteller

For nearly 30 years, I've made my living as a professional storyteller. I've received national acclaim, and won several awards for my work. I've also toured extensively presenting performances and workshops. The feedback I've received has always been positive.

Lynne Settles

Art Teacher Ypsilanti AC-Tech High School

Lynne Settles is a veteran art teacher on her 3rd year with Ypsilanti Community High School. In her short time in Ypsilanti she has been awarded. -Exemplary Education Endeavors 2016 award by the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber Foundtion -The Mercedes Wauddy Humanitarian Award by the Ypsilanti Community Schools Student Council 2016 -City of Ypsilanti Proclamation for partnership between YCS and the Ypsilanti Community. 2016 Her past and present work is about the love of family, art, children, and community.

Maximilian Harper

Student, Ypsilanti Community Schools

I was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan. A sophomore at Ypsilanti Community High School, I have been a student in Mrs. Settles art class since freshman year and worked on all the murals and all the community projects. Through this work I have had the opportunity to be interviewed by local media. I am also a varsity soccer and baseball player. In college I would like to study art and radio communications.

Megan Foldenauer

Medical Illustrator/ Anatomist/Artist

I have drawn eyes for as long as I could put pencil to paper. After repeatedly illustrating my lab reports in anatomy class when I was 16, a teacher told me about medical illustration - I never looked back. After attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as an undergrad, I pursued my Masters in "Art as Applied to Medicine" from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2002. In 2007, I came to Eastern Michigan University to broaden my hard science training which would lead to a Bachelor of Science in 2009.then pursued a PhD in Anatomy at Wayne State School of Medicine, which I completed in late 2012. I am now a biomedical illustrator and multi-media specialist in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Medicine in Ann Arbor - a perfect amalgamation of my artistic and scientific background. That entire time I was practicing fine art as well. Lastly, I have taught anatomy and run workshops, and have served as President for my local roller derby league.

Michael Kielb

Biology Department Faculty/Eastern Michigan University

I have been teaching biology at Eastern Michigan University for over twenty years. As an evolutionary biologist I have had the pleasure of teaching both evolution and genetics (where disease and epidemics collide). I currently oversee the human anatomy & physiology courses at EMU as well as teaching neuroanatomy. Additionally I have a tremendous amount of experience speaking to large audiences outside of academia, about a variety of topics in biology at a great many meetings with public organizations over the years - all as an invited speaker.

Ping Zhou

Lecturer/ Eastern Michigan University

I have been a geography instructor at EMU for seven years. Among my course load includes a relevant 300-level economic geography course. Much of my graduate and undergraduate studies focused on industrialization and trade. Six years ago, I gave a New York Times Talk at EMU on China's unstable economic growth. I have much experience in public speaking and I'm one of the highest rated instructors in our department based on public student evaluations. As a young instructor, I am able to empathize with college students, understanding how to keep them attentive and engaged.

Shawntae Harris

Co-Chair- Millennial Ozone House Board;/College Success Coach Washtenaw Community College/Academic Coach Eastern Michigan University/ Graduate Student: Higher Education Student Affairs- Eastern Michigan University

When I was a senior in college, I was one of the 58,000 students that experiences collegiate homelessness annually. I had been living independently since I was 18 and worked to support myself. When the economy crashed in 2008, I lost my job. Shortly after, I lost my car and my apartment. I “couch-surfed” for several months while I searched for work. Towards the end of 2009, I found work as a youth care specialist at a teen runaway and homeless shelter in Flint. When I moved to Ypsilanti to attend Graduate School at EMU, I immediately sought out a way to volunteer with the Ozone House. Now, I serve as the Co-Chair of the MOB (Millennial Ozone House Board), overseeing Community Awareness operations for our group. I also work for both EMU and WCC and work closely with the offices on each campus that are involved with the MORE program.

Tanasia Morton

Student Body President of Eastern Michigan University

Tanasia Morton was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan in the Fall of 2013 to attend Eastern Michigan University. After a life changing experience at leadership retreat she made the decision to devote her life to being a public servant. She currently serves as Student Body President of Eastern Michigan University, a commissioner for the City of Ypsilanti Human Relations Commission, and the Treasurer of the State of Michigan Youth and College Division of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.