Theme: Horizons

TEDxECU is an annual conference consisting of live speakers coming together from East Carolina University, Greenville, Eastern North Carolina, and beyond. This event marks the first annual TEDxECU conference. The theme for this event is Horizons.

ECU Campus
1000 E. Fifth St.
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina, 27858
United States

Alessandra Lazarek

Student, East Carolina University, English Education Major

Alessandra Lazarek is a junior English Education student at East Carolina University. A New Jersey native with Brazilian and American dual citizenship, she has lived in North Carolina for nearly three years now. As a poet, educator, and writer, Alessandra is committed to sharing her love of stories, words, and poetry as a force to explore, examine, and affect our world. Planning to graduate with her Bachelor's Degree in 2019, Alessandra intends to continue writing, learning, and teaching.

Alexandria Stephens

Student, East Carolina University, Nursing Major

Alex Stephens is currently a junior at ECU, majoring in Nursing. She is interested in the field of Neonatal ICU nursing, and wants to ultimately become a nursing professor. Stephens currently sits as one of the nursing representatives on the board for ECU’s Institute for Healthcare Improvement – an organization that looks to promote improved healthcare through collaboration of different roles within the healthcare system. She is a member of ECU’s Honors College and part of its EC Scholar and Early Assurance in Nursing programs. Stephens is also involved with Dr. Patricia Crane’s research on heart attacks and the factors associated with them at the College of Nursing.

Jamie Dewitt

Associate Professor at Brody School of Medicine, Pharmacology & Toxicology

Jamie DeWitt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She received PhD degrees in Environmental Science and Neural Science from Indiana University-Bloomington and completed postdoctoral training in Immunotoxicology at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park, NC, in cooperation with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her current scientific research focus is on how exposure to emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment, such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and pharmaceutical and personal care products, affect the adult and developing immune and nervous systems. She is active in the Society of Toxicology, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology and is on the editorial boards of several toxicological journals.

Jermaine McNair

NC Civil Founding Director

Jermaine T. McNair, is a community organizer, outreach specialist, and founding director of the nonprofit, NC CIVIL, which works for grassroots development in underserved communities. Hailing from a troubled background with felony convictions and former incarceration, Jermaine combines his personal experiences together with a growing study of social structures to build partnership programs that engage inner-city communities with the institutions that serve them for improved service delivery. Along with being a proud active father, he’s currently enrolled as a Master’s student in the East Carolina University School of Sociology. He’s the Mayor’s appointee to the City of Greenville NC’s Police Community Relations Committee, serves on various boards and committees, and has received several awards and recognitions for service and leadership, including the City of Greenville’s 2016 Best-Irons Humanitarian Award.

Jocelyn Bayles

Student, East Carolina University, Nutrition and Dietetics Major

Jocelyn Bayles is a junior at East Carolina University with a double major in Nutrition and Dietetics and Hispanic Studies. She is fortunate to be a part of the Honors College and EC Scholars Program which has allowed her to study abroad in Granada, Spain. When she’s not studying or teaching at the gym, Jocelyn enjoys running, letter-writing, and reading Historical Fiction. Her passion for nutrition stems from her desire to both encourage others to see food as more than what’s on the plate, and to empower others to live healthier, happier lives.

Mike Fox

Co-Owner, Blackbeard Coffee Roasters

Mike Fox is co-owner of Blackbeard Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roastery and coffee shop in Uptown Greenville, North Carolina. He has a B.S. in Accountancy which he earned from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. He moved to Greenville in 2012, loves Eastern North Carolina, and is excited to see the Greenville area continue to develop into an economic hub in the coming years. He has worked in retail banking at Bank Of America, as an accountant at Arizona Public Service, and as a manager in Student Financial Services at East Carolina University, before setting out as an entrepreneur in the specialty coffee industry. Blackbeard provides handmade coffee, tea, and baked goods in a retail location in Uptown Greenville and coffee for resale to various restaurants, cafes, and organizations.

Morgan Murray

Student, East Carolina University, Communications Major

Morgan Murray is a Junior Communication major with a Leadership Studies at East Carolina University from Whiteville, North Carolina.

Sylveonna Holmes

Student, East Carolina University, Interpersonal and Organizational Communications Major

Sylveonna Holmes is a junior student at ECU studying Interpersonal and Organizational Communications with a minor in Leadership Studies. She is a Peer Career Leader and a mentor for ECU Leads. Sylveonna has two jobs on campus: Joyner Music Library, and ECU's Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement where she serves as the Service Leadership Assistant for the signature program Pirate P.A.L.S. (Peers Advocating Learning & Success).

Tim Christensen

East Carolina University Biology Professor

Tim Christensen was born under the expansive skies of the Western United States where his childhood was full of wonder. He received his BS in Molecular Biology from the University of Utah and his PhD in Genetics & Development from Cornell University. He is a serial obsessive. His passions are diverse and include biology, student success, woodworking, genealogy, entomology, astronomy, and breaking disciplinary barriers. Before coming to ECU he worked in a small start-up company where he developed sterilization methods for human tissue. At ECU he is an Associate Professor in Biology and a Senior Faculty fellow in the Honors College. He also just started his MFA in photography.

Virginia Hardy

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, East Carolina University

Dr. Virginia Hardy, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at East Carolina University has over 20 years of experience in education as either a teacher or administrator, with additional expertise as a counselor. As Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Dr. Hardy has focused on enhancing student success, student learning, leadership development and the overall quality of life for all university stakeholders. Prior to assuming her current role, Dr. Hardy served as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Brody School of Medicine. While in the capacity, she also served as Interim Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). Recognized for her leadership and civic engagement, Dr. Hardy is a frequent presenter at professional meetings and is involved in her local and statewide community. Her public and municipal duties include serving on the Greenville Utilities Board of Commissioners, Electricities Board of Directors, and as a member of the Pitt Community College Board of Trustees.

William Guiler

Student, East Carolina University, Early Assurance In Nursing

William Guiler is a current Honors College freshman and Early Assurance Scholar in Nursing at East Carolina University. Originally from Charlotte, NC, William is a passionate advocate for mental health issues and have started support groups, spoken with public leaders to initiate change, and shared my own personal story of hope. William currently plans to pursue a career in nursing research with a focus on mental health.

William Rowe

Associate Professor of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, East Carolina University

William J. Rowe, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Supply Chain Management at East Carolina University. His research interests include creating efficiency in buyer-seller relationships in the context of business-to-business transactions and the impact of blockchain technologies on supply chain performance. His research has been presented at several regional, national, and international conferences including the Association of Consumer Research, Society for Marketing Advances, the Association for Business and Economic Research, and the Society for Advancement of Management International Business Conference. Additionally, his research has been published at a variety of peer-reviewed journals. He earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, a bachelor of business administration degree and a master of business administration, both from Marshall University.