Theme: Up All Night

On March 15th, 2020, we invite you to join us at the Citadel Theatre for our fifth annual TEDxUAlberta conference.

At the intersectionality of ideation, imagination and interdisciplinarity, this year's conference themed, Up All Night, will share stories of dreamers and doers. Become inspired by short, powerful talks from across a plethora of human endeavour! We will be featuring local leaders and innovators to discuss innovation in Edmonton - whether this be in technology, entertainment, business, education, healthcare, arts, or global issues. In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,” we hope to spark discussion and connection over shared passion for issues that face Edmonton.

Citadel Theatre
9828 101A Ave
Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 3C6
Canada

Adam Pinkoski

Exercise scientist + instructor

Adam Pinkoski has been an extrovert since he was in utero. Since then, he has been honing his skills in the field of sport and exercise science, completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta, and his MSc at Loughborough University. Adam is a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta, where he teaches introductory and cadaver human anatomy. At the age of 24, he was the youngest recipient of the Last Lecture honour. Adam works full time as a Research Associate for Rehabtronics Inc., developing technology to optimize human performance via electrophysiological measures. During his time as a student, Adam was co-founder and President of the Hide and Seek Club and is an internationally recognized expert in the field of Hide and Seek. In his spare time, he writes anatomically correct raps with the help of his cat Matilda.

Arman Hemmati

Climate change innovator + mechanical engineer

Dr. Hemmati is an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and an Adjunct Research Fellow at Princeton University. He is also the director of Alberta Computational Fluid Engineering Laboratory and a Principle Investigator for Future Energy Systems, where his research focuses on alternative energy systems. Dr. Hemmati has also served as an Official Expert Observer for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body for Implementation Committee, Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice Committee, and 20th Conference of Parties in Paris. He is also a member of American Physical Society and he is well known internationally for his research on fluid mechanics, aerodynamics and turbulence.

Debra Kasowski

Business influencer + host

Debra Kasowski has been recognized as an Icon of Influence. She charismatic host of the thought-provoking podcast, The Millionaire Woman Show, is committed to enriching the leadership potential of her countless clients, essentially guiding them to go within to capitalize on their true personal power, so they can achieve the measurable success they desire in business, and in life. After graduating with distinction, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, this award winning, 3X bestselling author, TEDxSpeaker/keynoter and Certified Executive Coach spent many years as a clinical manager exceling in leadership development, before founding Debra Kasowski International, a world-class training and consulting venture focused on helping aspiring business owners and solopreneurs develop the winning “success habits” that transform human potential into sustainable profits.

Ed Fischer

IT consultant + organ-tissue donation exponent

Ed Fisher is a Senior Consultant working for a Canadian global IT consulting firm. Having accepted the opportunity of international relocation from the UK to Canada for a work assignment in 2004, he became a Canadian Citizen in 2015 with his wife and two sons, making Edmonton their permanent home. Tragically, the Fisher family's Canadian Dream was shattered just two years later when, in the summer of 2017, Ed's youngest son, Bryn, was killed in a freak accident. Bryn had already expressed his wish to be an organ and tissue donor and had signed his donor card, so Ed and his wife gave consent to Bryn’s wishes and experienced first-hand the organ donor process. Thus began Ed's own quest to help raise awareness and education of organ and tissue donation by telling Bryn’s Story, a raw and personal account of a parent’s worst nightmare: the death of their child.

Jasneet Parmar

Medical doctor + senior care proponent

Dr. Jasneet Parmar has 27 years of experience as an academic, educator, clinician and advocate in seniors' care in Edmonton Zone. She has worked for the Specialized Geriatrics Program, as Care of the Elderly physician since 1992. She is an Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta. She is the Medical Lead of Home Living and Transitions, AHS Edmonton Zone Continuing Care. Jasneet has been very active in developing and implementing clinical programming in the care for the frail elderly. She served as the Medical Director for the Covenant Health Network of Excellence in Seniors’ Health and Wellness (CH NESHW) from 2013-2019. Her research experience has included a variety of initiatives to improve the quality of care of complex and frail seniors and currently is focused on improving the supports provided to family caregivers of older adults.

Jocelyn Davidson

Event curator + connector

Jocelyn Davison, founder of The Virtual Effect an event planning and branding company in Edmonton, curates connection and impact through meaningful events. Through her work with clients she creates event experiences that weave seamlessly into their brand and client connections. Jocelyn runs her own series of events called Elevate, in which she creates opportunities for real connection and education on significant world issues through her Impact Events. Her heart lays in giving back to the community, working with people who are making an impact, and creating real relationships.

Klaudia Zabrzenski

Pharmacist + inclusive care champion

Klaudia Zabrzenski is the co-founder and Program Manager for the Adherence and Community Engagement (ACE) Team, an innovative pharmacist-led community outreach team in Edmonton that has gandered provincial recognition. Klaudia was awarded Avenue Magazines Top 40 under 40 award in 2018 and has been part of numerous provincial strategies for care delivery in the areas of substance use disorders, HIV, hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. She specializes in the care of marginalized populations, program development has additional prescribing authorization as a pharmacist, and practices from a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive lens.

Lisa Stein

Microbiologist + sustainability advocate

Dr. Lisa Y. Stein is a Professor of Environmental Microbiology at the University of Alberta. She co-leads a research team between the faculties of Science and Engineering that aims to convert fugitive greenhouse gas emissions into value-added products using the power of bacteria. She is also an expert on the nitrogen cycle and works with local vertical agriculture companies to improve plant growth by manipulating microbes in their system. Dr. Stein is a passionate advocate for scientific literacy and has joined others around the world to bring the rich science of microbes into elementary and secondary curricula. She has over 80 scientific journal publications, book chapters, and editorials, including the “Microbiologists’ Warning Consensus Statement,” which proclaims that microorganisms are so critical to achieving an environmentally sustainable future that ignoring them risks the fate of humanity.

Peter Anto Johnson

Children's health researcher + dilettante

Peter Anto Johnson is currently a distinguished graduate researcher under the Department of Pediatrics and Women & Children's Health Research Institute. Peter is no babe in the woods when it comes to academia and the public sphere of community health programming. Having played a pivotal role in health research for children and mothers as well as birthing nutritional health and physical literacy programs for children locally, Peter considers the field of child health his playground. While still in the embryonic stages of his early research career, he has been distinguished locally and provincially for his work in the community as the City of Edmonton's Mayor's Award recipient in 2018 and being named one of Alberta Council for Global Cooperation's Top 30 Under 30 in 2019, respectively. He will be presenting his brainchild, which combines his passion for child health and education to answer the question: What can we as adults learn from children?

Randall Morck

Economics expert + educator

Randall Morck is Stephen A. Jarislowsky Distinguished Chair in Finance and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Alberta’s Alberta School of Business. He earned an honors B.Sc. summa cum laude in applied mathematics and economics at Yale and a Ph.D. in economics at Harvard. He has return occasionally to both almae matres – most recently as William Lyon Mackenzie King Visiting Professor at Harvard in 2005 and as Schoen Visiting Professor of Finance at Yale in 2009. Prof. Morck is a Senior Fellow and Vice President of the Asian Bureau of Financial and Economics Research, Research Associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research, Research Associate with the European Corporate Governance Institute, Senior Research Associate in Harvard Law School’s Labor and Worklife Program, and Inaugural Fellow with the International Corporate Governance Society. He is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences in North America and abroad.

Randy Boissonnault

Former Canadian Member of Parliament

Randy Boissonnault was elected as the Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre in 2015 and was appointed by Justin Trudeau as the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 Issues. Randy discovered his passion for leadership and public service at the University of Alberta, where he served as President of the Students’ Union. Since studying at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, Randy has worked as a lecturer at the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean, and as a journalist and political commentator for CBC Radio-Canada and Les Affaire.

Sandra Bucerius

Sociology expert + author

Dr. Sandra M. Bucerius is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology in the Department of Sociology. Bucerius deploys extensive qualitative and ethnographic research to reveal the intricacies of settings that are difficult both to access and understand: prisons, police organizations, and marginalized street and newcomer communities. She conducts rigorous research designed to understand criminal justice institutions and those who encounter them, particularly those marginalized by factors related to race, gender, social class, addictions and other factors. She works with various stakeholder groups to confront the challenges of the criminal justice system and translate her knowledge and findings into best practises and create positive system changes.