Theme: Ignite

TEDxHamlineUniversity will highlight Hamline University students, staff, faculty, and alumni's ideas to build a better world. To meet that objective, we chose the theme "Ignite." As the inaugural TEDx event on our campus, we hope to ignite passions, ideas, and host future TEDx events. In true Hamline spirit, we take the lead. We are committed to doing all the good we can in all the ways we can. Sharing ideas is one way to achieve that.

Hamline University Sundin Music Hall
1531 Hewitt Ave
St Paul, Minnesota, 55104
United States

James Densley

Professor of Criminal Justice + Center for Justice and Law Fellow

James Densley is a British-American sociologist. He's a Professor of Criminal Justice at Metropolitan State University and Fellow of the Hamline Center for Justice and Law, where he co-leads the mass shooter database project funded by the National Institute of Justice. Densley has been an invited or keynote speaker on three continents and has received global media attention for his research on street gangs, criminal networks, violence, and policing. He is the author of two books, including the award-winning, How Gangs Work (Palgrave, 2013), and more than 50 articles and book chapters. His writing has also featured for CNN, The Conversation, The Guardian, HuffPost, and The Wall Street Journal.

Jasmine Lee

Visit Supervisor + Parent Educator + Meme Connoisseur

Jasmine graduated from Hamline in December of 2018 and currently works in child protection. Aside from spending a sizable amount of her day scouring the darkest corners of the internet for good meme content, Jasmine enjoys teaching herself how to cook, learning how watercolor paints work, and snuggling with her cat.

Jessica Yang

Paralegal + Hmong Community Organizer

Jessica Yang is an Alumna of Hamline University class of 2018 . She graduated with honors and majored in Legal Studies with a Psychology minor and Paralegal Certificate. She is currently a Legal Assistant/Paralegal at Swaray Law Office, LTD. Jessica has done research on Hamline Hmong identified students and had multiple leadership positions at Hamline. She was the Hamline Hmong Student Association President, Multicultural Alliance Coordinator, Student Congress Economics Chair, and a part of the leadership team on the Campus Diversity and Inclusion Dialogues. Her interest are in dance, golf, Hmong women's flag football, her puppy Lilo, and on her spare time she loves spending time with friends and family. Her passions are learning, racial and equitable justice, traveling, being true to her Hmong-American woman identity, and helping others in need.

Jillian Peterson

Professor of Criminal Justice + Director of the Hamline Center for Justice and Law

Jillian Peterson, Ph.D., is a professor of criminal justice at Hamline University and the faculty director of the Hamline Center for Justice and Law. Dr. Peterson received her doctorate in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine after previously working as an investigator on death penalty cases in Chicago and New York. She has led large-scale research studies on mental illness and crime, school shooting prevention, and mass violence which have received national media attention. Her areas of interest and expertise are forensic psychology, violence, mental illness in the criminal justice system, and evidence-based public policy. She is also trained in restorative justice, violence mediation, crisis intervention, de-escalation, and suicide prevention.

Johnanna Ganz

Director of the Sexual Violence Justice Institute

Dr. Johnanna Ganz is a proud Alumna of Hamline University (Classe of '09); she studied Women's Studies and Art History. Johnanna is the Director of the Sexual Violence Justice Institute where she develop resources, provide trainings, and influences policy change in anti-sexual violence efforts and community response. Her greatest interests lie in advocating for radical change that supports long-term health and wellbeing for social workers, advocates, and non-profit employees. She also loves horror movies, spending time outdoors, and is a dedicated life-long learner

Julia Albrecht

Plant Lover + Content Developer + Biologist

Julia’s love for nature, passion for health, and interest in food security lead her to plants and eventually the humble pea, who has become her greatest teacher yet. Julia is a content developer at a regenerative pea protein company PURIS in Minneapolis. She received her undergraduate degree in biology and nonprofit management from Hamline University in 2017 and a plant based nutrition certification from Cornell University. After spending many years in the health care industry and caring for many sick people, it become apparent that what we eat everyday is the most powerful determinant of our health. Julia continues to work for greater food education that is fun, delicious, and accessible. She has plans of attending the University of Minnesota for a masters in integrative health and wellness coaching next fall.

Kelly Pylkas-Bock

2nd Grade Teacher

Dr. Kelly Pylkas-Bock is a 2015 graduate of Hamline University. She has also earned a Master’s Degree and an Educational Leadership certificate (2004, 2002) from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Elementary Education (1998) is from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Currently, Ms. Bock, as she is known to her students, teaches 2nd Grade at Matoska International IB World School, Primary Years Programme in White Bear Lake, MN. After all, who is more deserving of a teacher with a doctoral degree than seven year olds? She has been an educator for twenty years, teaching students in Kindergarten through university. Dr. Pylkas-Bock’s passion is children. She believes children have a right to be the principal actors on their own stage and that grown-ups should stand aside and allow them to learn, shine, fail and rise. She dedicates this talk to her sons Zachary, Jackson, Porter and husband, Joshua.

Letitia Basford

Associate Professor of Teacher Education

Letitia Basford is an associate professor of Teacher Education at Hamline University. Her teaching and research interests focus on students’ equitable access to education, with a focus on culturally responsive pedagogy and restorative school practices. Her research spans from capturing the experiences of Somali and Hmong youth in culturally specific charter schools, to documenting a family’s experience school-to-prison-pipeline, to investigating how schools are working to prevent that pipeline and be more inclusive places through culturally sustaining practices.

Marko Dewhurst

Brand Strategist + Writer

Marko Dewhurst is an inspiring writer, brand builder, and yoga teacher. Originally from northern Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range, he has made a home in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Marko is best known for his inspiring presence on Instagram (@markotheinspired), his blog on markodewhurst.com, published articles on Thrive Global Journal, and professional brand work. He is a certified 200-hour Power Yoga instructor who empowers his students to take up space and cultivate gentleness towards one's self. Every day, Marko lives out his mission: "Be inspired. Stay positive. Love yourself."

Pat Samples

Creative Aging Champion + Writing Collaborator

Pat Samples is in the conscious aging business. She helps older people uncover the brilliance in their bodies, express their creativity, and connect with their spiritual essence—so they can live their older years as a creative force, with an unbridled sense of freedom. Pat earned an MFA in creative writing from Hamline. She has given keynotes and workshop across the country and is the author of 8 books, including Daily Comforts for Caregivers and Body Odyssey: Lessons from the Bones and Belly. She is also a personal writing coach and book editor, and she teaches writing in senior living communities.

Sejla Ceric

Class of 2019

Sejla Ceric is a double-major in political science and global studies at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. She holds a position as Vice President of Hamline’s Model United Nations program. Sejla also spent a semester abroad at the University of York in the UK studying politics and international relations including a course on immigration in Europe. She is motivated by her own family’s past as refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Shelby St. Pierre

Class of 2017 + Survivor

Shelby Lynn St. Pierre (she/her/hers) was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i about 22 years ago and grew up in small town Minnesota. She graduated from Hamline University with a Bachelor's in Legal Studies, minor in Religion, and an ABA certified Paralegal certificate. While attending Hamline, she founded and facilitated a disability awareness and support group for students on campus living with mental and physical disabilities. She currently lives in St. Paul working as a paralegal and is currently studying for the LSAT and applying to go to Mitchell Hamline Law School in Fall of 2019. She wants to practice law and eventually teach legal studies and women studies at Hamline. She is the Editor-in-Chief of a blog for Hidden Valley Culture and writes for her own personal blog Just Another Sick Girl. St. Pierre is passionate about helping people that face discrimination and educating people about social issues--specifically about disability, trauma, race, gender and sexuality.

Zan Christ

Coordinator for Religious and Spiritual Life Programs

Zan is the Coordinator for Religious and Spiritual Life Programs at Hamline University’s Wesley Center for Spirituality, Service and Social Justice. She serves as an educational resource on religious diversity, interfaith literacy and cooperation on campus and in the community. She is an experienced multifaith leader, accomplishing an undergraduate degree in World Religions from Hamline University and a graduate degree in College Student Affairs: Student Personnel and Counseling from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her main passion is speaking about multifaith issues on college campuses and similar venues.