Theme: Unearthed

To unearth, is to discover something hidden, lost or kept secret by investigation and searching. This year TEDxUTSC aims to dig up and bring to light topics and ideas that have yet to be uncovered, to consider perspectives that have yet to be seen. TEDxUTSC presents to you: Unearthed

University of Toronto, Scarborough
1265 Military Trail
Toronto, Ontario, ON M1C 1A5
Canada

Alexandra Flynn

University of Toronto, Professor

Alexandra Flynn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Geography at the University of Toronto. She focuses on urban governance, planning law and Indigenous-municipal relationships. Prior to becoming a professor, she represented First Nations governments in land-related disputes and agreements, and worked in intergovernmental relations at the City of Toronto. Her forthcoming book with Lexis Nexis explores the flexible and transforming role of municipalities in Canada's legal system.

Charles Smith

University of Toronto, Professor

Charles C. Smith is a published poet, playwright and essayist. He will explore how diverse artistic mediums can be used to tell stories of everyday intersections between race, gender, LGBTQ identities & more!

Chizoba Imoka

PhD. Candidate

Chizoba Imoka is a PhD. candidate in Education Policy and Leadership at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Her research explores student experiences in Nigerian secondary schools and is identifying policy/practice recommendations for inclusive-decolonial educational change in Nigeria. Chizoba is also the founder of Unveiling Africa, a non-profit that provides a platform for Nigerian teenagers to engage in civic and political advocacy. She is the convener of the Advocacy for Inclusive Education Summit, Nigeria that brings together students and education stakeholders in politics, private sector and civil society to mobilize and discuss about equity and inclusion issues in Nigeria's education sector. Chizoba is the recipient of numerous leadership and academic excellence awards, including the Adrienne Clarkson Public Service Laureate, Adel Sedra Distinguished Graduate Student Award, Selfless for Africa Award, BBPA Academic excellence awards amongst others.

Darwin Sodhi

Student

Darwin graduated with a bachelor of science from UTSC in 2015. In 2016 he started his masters in science under the supervision of Dr. Marc Cadotte focusing on the impacts of invasive species on multiple ecosystems. Darwin has always been fascinated by the patterns we observe in nature and hopes to bring this curiosity to a wider audience. For his talk, Darwin will be speaking about biodiversity and why it is vital for the planet. He will be detailing how biodiversity was measured in the past and present. Finally, he will be explaining how a better understanding of biodiversity can inform the practices we undertake to conserve it.

El-Farouk Khaki

Social Advocate

El-Farouk Khaki is a human rights activist, social justice advocate, and refugee lawyer. He is the founder of Salaam: Queer Muslim Community (1991); and co-founder & imam of el-Tawhid Juma Circle (2009). El-Farouk spearheaded the presentation SOGIEG (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity/Expression & Gender) and HIV status based refugee claims. A public and media speaker on issues including Islam, LGBTIQ and human rights, refugees, race, politics and HIV, he has served in diverse capacities in groups and boards including Africans in Partnership against AIDS, The 519, & the Canadian Ethnocultural Council. El-Farouk is co-owner of the Glad Day Bookshop, and recipient of numerous Awards including: 2006 "Excellence in Spirituality" Award - Pride Toronto; 2007 Hero Award, Canadian Bar Association; 2007 Steinert & Ferreiro Award - Community One Foundation; 2014 AIR Award for Community Building; 2016 Seneca Award - Responding to Refugee crisis; 2016 CCVT Trevor Batram Award.

Girish Daswani

University of Toronto, Professor

Girish Daswani is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) with a graduate appointment at the University of Toronto, St George. He has been with the University of Toronto for ten years and in that time has been awarded the UTSC Student Union Faculty and Teaching Award (2009) and was Associate Director for the Centre for Ethnography at UTSC (2007-2010). Prof Daswani has co-edited a book with Prof Ato Quayson entitled A Companion to Diaspora and Transnationalism Studies and published his monograph Looking Back, Moving Forward: Transformation and Ethical Practice in the Ghanaian Church of Pentecost with the University of Toronto Press. His book was a finalist for the 2016 Canada Prize in Social Sciences. In his more recent research, Prof Daswani is interested in how activists and artists in Ghana are responding to discourses of corruption.

Heart in the Ground

Heart in the Ground is a story of unearthing suffering to discover love, it’s all about dropping the facades to uncover the truth. Join Lee and Karen on their journeys of grief, guilt, and redemption, as they attempt to come to terms with the loss of their baby girl while trying to glue together the ruminants of a shattering relationship. Allow yourself to delve into the story, with an open heart, for, you never know what you may uncover about yourself in the tale of another.

Hilary Brown

University of Toronto, Professor

Hilary Brown is an Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health and Society at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She holds cross-appointments in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Faculty of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and is also an Adjunct Scientist at Women's College Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology & Biostatistics from Western University and an MSc in Community Health & Epidemiology from Queen's University. Dr. Brown's research interests lie at the intersection of maternal and child health and chronic disease epidemiology. She is particularly interested in the influence of maternal chronic medical conditions and maternal disabilities on preconception, pregnancy, and postnatal health outcomes and in the use of quantitative and qualitative methods to disentangle biological and social determinants of these outcomes.

Late Night Conversations

The name Late Night Conversations alludes to the moments of reflection and inspiration that come from the conversations artists have with their instrument in the quiet solitude of the night. The recipe for Late Night Conversations’ distinct sonic fingerprint is the balanced combination of riveting guitar riffs, dreamy piano soundscapes, and deeply reflective vocals. The band plays original music in its eclectic, distinct, soulful style with influences spanning reggae, blues, electronic, rock and world music. Whether it is an electronic performance or a stripped-down acoustic set, audiences will be taken on a moving journey. Late Night Conversations released their debut EP “Waking Muse” in the summer of 2016.

Lesley & Kristina

A dynamic duo, childhood friends, aspiring artists and lovers of K-pop and Tori-Kelly. Kristina and Lesley-Ann are both students studying Music Industry Arts and Performance at Centennial college. They have both been singing together for several years in church, school and community engagements. Music gives them the ability to evoke emotion within others and find meaning in the mundane. The church has been a strong influence in their musical style, and they hope to unearth this passion for music on the TEDxUTSC stage.

Maria Raveendran

Student

Maria Raveendran is a 20-year-old undergraduate student at the University of Toronto with a passion for clinical research, working at renowned institutions such as The Hospital for Sick Children, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and the University of Toronto. She has several peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific meetings in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. She highly values student leadership, currently serving as the Vice President of Partnerships on the Board of Directors for DECA U, one of Canada's largest undergraduate student associations. A classically trained pianist, violinist, and ballet dancer, Maria now indulges in her love for the arts through learning Mandarin and American Sign Language.

Red Hawk Singers

Red Hawk Singers is a traditional Indigenous big drum group; who began in 1980 outside of Brantford along the Six Nations of the Grand River. Red Hawk Singers comprises of Northern, Southern singing style with Iroquoian Social Dance songs. Red Hawk Singers is proud to be a good role model for young Indigenous Peoples to revitalize cultural and ceremonial knowledge amongst many nation they represent around their drum; some of the nations: Ojibwa, Mohawk, Cree, Lenni Lenape and Mi’kmaq.

Samra Zafar

Social Activist

Unearthing the silence around honour-based, structural abuse - a hidden reality that creates a vicious cycle of mental, emotional, psychological, sexual, physical, and societal violence. What can we do as leaders, individuals and community members to break and end this cycle? Samra Zafar is an International Speaker, TEDx Presenter, Human Rights Activist, Scholar, Author and Social Entrepreneur. After arriving in Canada as a child bride in a forced marriage and escaping a decade of abuse, she pursued her education as a single mother, and graduated as the top student at the University of Toronto, receiving over a dozen awards and scholarships. Today, she serves as the youngest alumni Governor for the University, while pursuing a rewarding career at RBC. Samra's story and work have been featured in prominent media, including Toronto Life, CTV, CBC, Global News, Yahoo, and many others, collectively reaching tens of millions of people worldwide.

Sheri Browne

University of Toronto, Faculty

Sheri Browne is the Co-Curricular Coordinator with the Department of Management at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Her role entails support students to acquire solid leadership and experiential learning opportunities which will enhance their overall undergraduate experience at UTSC. She aspires to improve her professional inquiry skills and to be impactful in the area of supporting students to successfully transition as young adults way beyond their academic studies to the arena called life.

William Cunningham

University of Toronto, Professor

William Cunningham is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. His research examines the cognitive, motivational, and neural processes involved in social perception, emotion, and decision-making. One area of interest is in social stereotyping and prejudice, where he has explored the unconscious biases that people bring to social encounters. This work seeks to understand how these biases are represented and used, with special attention paid to how they can be reduced by shifting goals and contexts. In this talk, he will discuss the limits that people have understanding their own memories and beliefs, and suggest that greater humility in judging the motivations and beliefs of others is necessary for a civil and diverse society.