Theme: What's NeXt?

Flying heli-taxis. Rotating buildings. The internet of things. Artificial Intelligence. Changes in government. The future has never seemed more uncertain than it is now. But the future isn't just a destination, it's a journey and requires some decisions and ideas to happen.
Back for the third year, TEDxUIdaho presents engaging speakers and performances that can help our community begin the conversation around the future. TEDxUIdaho 2017 > What's NeXt? comes on May 6 at the Hartung Theater on the University of Idaho Campus in Moscow ID. Come prepared to ask this question to your fellow attendees and exciting speakers.

Hartung Theater
6th & Stadium Way
Moscow, Idaho, 83843
United States

Benjamin James

Theatre Professor+Horror Story Addict

Benjamin James is from the Forest of Dean in the UK. When Ben was 17 his parents were kidnapped in Grozny by a group of Chechen guerillas.Once they returned from their 14-month ordeal Ben dedicated himself to studying how we can use storytelling to help ourselves and others. He studied Theatre at the University of Warwick and earned a Masters in Film and TV production at the University of Bristol. He is a screenwriter and Clinical Assistant Professor in the University of Idaho's English Dept. He's a confirmed ghost story, and horror film addict.

Brian Fisher

Entomologist+Conservation Biologist

Often found hip-deep in Madagascar mud, Dr. Brian Fisher is a modern-day explorer who has devoted his life to the study and conservation of insects and biodiversity around the world. His research sends him through the last remote rainforests and deserts of Madagascar and Africa in search of ants. Although his subjects may be small in stature, they make a huge impact on their ecosystems. And what they lack in size, they more than make up for in numbers. While researching insects in Madagascar, Brian realized that little time remains to help save the tropical forests in Madagascar and that entomologists have a role. As a result, Brian launched the Insects and People initiative in Madagascar to farm native and edible insects to sustain forests and fight malnutrition. Learn more at www.Fisherlab.org follow his pheromone trail on twitter @ant_explorer.

Derek Pittman

Soccer Coach

Derek Pittman came to the University of Idaho in 2014 with 13 years of coaching experience under his belt. During that decade-plus Pittman worked for a handful of different schools in the SEC, Big XII & WCC, including taking the head coaching job for three years at Arkansas State from 2007-09. Pittman didn’t need much time to make an impact on the program at Idaho, leading the squad to its first ever conference title in just his second season. Idaho finished the Big Sky season unbeaten at 9-0-1 in 2015, with Pittman earning Coach of the Year honors. Idaho would remain on top in 2016, winning its second consecutive regular season championship. In three years in charge, the Vandals has won 19 All-Big Sky athletic awards and have also excelled in the classroom, earning 35 Big Sky All-Academic awards as well.Pittman resides in Moscow with his wife, Amber, and his two daughters, Emma and Jozy.

Jakob Magolan

Professor of Organic Chemistry

Jakob received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Western University in Canada. After three years of postdoctoral research at the Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery in Australia, he joined the chemistry faculty at the University of Idaho where he teaches organic chemistry and runs a research program focused on organic synthetic methods and drug discovery. Jakob was recently granted tenure and has received awards in recognition of his research, teaching, and mentorship of students.

John Plumstead

Dad+Student

John Plumstead is originally from Honor, Michigan. In 2004 he left his small town and went to New York to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. He excelled on the football field in college and helped lead the Army Football team as a team captain. After college he served as a combat platoon leader in Afghanistan. John is currently pursuing a masters in sport psychology at the University of Idaho. He is married and has four sons, all 5 years old or younger.

Lauren Busdon

Undergraduate Student

Lauren Busdon is a freshmen at the University of Idaho currently majoring in Architecture with a minor in Public Relations. Just over a year ago she self-published a poetry anthology. Born and raised in Sun Valley, ID, some of her favorite activities include horseback riding, skiing, longboarding, reading, and writing.

Megan Stanley

Middle School Student

Megan Stanley is finishing up her eighth grade year at Lincoln Middle School in Pullman, WA. She is the youngest of three, though only a minute younger than her twin brother. She has a keen interest in politics, social issues, and modern history. Megan writes daily, reads voraciously, and has performed in multiple theater productions with the Regional Theater of the Palouse Performing Arts School, including Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Megan’s wish is to change the world with her words.

Paul Gathercoal

Professor+Educationist

Paul Gathercoal is professor of education at the University of Idaho in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Previously he has served as chair of the Curriculum and Instruction department in the College of Education. He has also served as professor and program director for assessment, technology, and the curriculum & instruction program in the School of Education at California Lutheran University. Prior teaching positions include, assistant professor of education at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota; Media Studies Project Officer, classroom teacher, and curriculum advisor and coach in the South Australian Education Department; and teacher in Eugene, Oregon School District 4J. Paul earned his B.S. in Education from Southern Oregon College, and M.Ed. and Ph.D. degrees in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Oregon. Among other educational topics, Paul has authored or co-authored books, articles, and presentations addressing technology, classroom meetings, The Judicious Par

Reinaldo Gil Zambrano

Artist

Reinaldo Gil Zambrano is a Latin American printmaking artist from Caracas, Venezuela. Since an early age, he has traveled the world collecting unique stories from casual encounters that later enriched the visual narratives of his drawings and relief prints. Gil found inspiration studying the common aspect of the cultural identity and iconography from the wrongly named "Third World Countries". Gil's work studies the universal idea of home and its influence on individual personalities. Reinaldo, a UWCCR alumni and Shelby Davis Scholar, is currently finishing his MFA at the University of Idaho where he served as an instructor for drawing, design and printmaking.

Terence Soule

Computer Science Professor

Dr. Terence Soule is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Idaho. He received a BS in Physics from Reed College, an MS in Physics from Washington State University, and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Idaho. He is a dedicated teacher and the author of the text “A Project Based Introduction to C++”. His research interests include the evolution of cooperation and evolutionary robotics. In 2016 he co-founded Polymorphic Games, a UI game design studio dedicated to the creation of video games incorporating evolution. Polymorphic Games released its first title “Darwin’s Demons” in February 2017.

Todd Broadman Broadman

Business Consultant+Writer

These days, Todd’s primary role is that of a father to his two children, Micah and Jazmine. His faith journey and thirst for cultural variety has taken him around the globe with long periods in India and China. For the last several years he has been writing a bi-weekly newspaper column centered on social criticism, or as he’d like to think, “how the world really works.” When not writing or reading or teaching, he consults with local small businesses in northcentral Idaho. He holds Master’s degree from Thunderbird School of International Management.

Vishal Saxena

Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Vishal Saxena is the Micron Endowed Professor in Microelectronics in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Idaho. He obtained his B. Tech. degree in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in 2002. Subsequently, he graduated with a Ph.D. from Boise State University, ID in 2010. He joined U Idaho in Fall 2016, where he directs the Analog Mixed-Signal and Photonic Integrated Circuits (AMPIC) Lab and teaches courses on integrated circuit design. His research interests are in applying circuit design to solve challenges in energy sustainability of computing and communication, and Neural-inspired computing to realize ultra-low-power artificial intelligence. Dr. Saxena received the prestigious 2015 NSF CAREER, and 2016 AFOSR Young Investigator Program (YIP) award for his work on harnessing light to transform integrated circuit design, and was recognized as Idaho’s Accomplished under 40. In spare time, he ventures into the local art scene in Moscow