Theme: Wonder

It’s no small wonder that transformation starts with one: one person, one muse, one idea. A single stroke of inspiration has the power to unite communities in pursuit of dreams that exist at the crossroads of the unfamiliar and the awe-inspiring. At the University of Georgia, we marvel at the extraordinary stories, enchanting ideas, and boundless research that reinvent our world and reimagine our future. TEDxUGA 2022 will pave a new path forward with ideas that inspire curiosity, expand imagination, and awaken wonder.

Morton Theatre
195 West Washington Street
Athens, Georgia, 30601
United States

Charlie Mustard

Head Coffee Roaster

Since earning his master's degree in foods and nutrition from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia, Charlie Mustard has served as the head roaster at Jittery Joe's, an Athens-based coffee roasting company. As a local celebrity and proud Athenian of 29 years, Charlie gives back to the community one cup at a time.

Darrell Blocker

Chief Operating Officer

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Georgia, Darrell M. Blocker served 32 years as an intelligence officer in the Air Force and the Central Intelligence Agency. Darrell received the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal upon retirement and was recognized as the most senior black officer in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations. Darrell now serves as the Chief Operating Officer at the boutique strategic risk and crisis management, intelligence, and security advisory firm MOSAIC. In addition, he creates espionage-themed content in Hollywood and volunteers with nonprofits dedicated to improving the future of youth in foster care and countering the exploitation and human trafficking of youth and women.

David Cotten

Researcher + Scientist

Dr. David Cotten is a Senior Research and Development Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. As a faculty member in the University of Georgia's Department of Physics and Astronomy, he led efforts that directly contributed to space discovery and exploration. Dr. Cotten helped establish the UGA Small Satellite Research Laboratory, a campus organization that develops and launches innovative technologies into space. Throughout his involvement with the laboratory, he mentored over 100 undergraduate students, participated in outreach initiatives to teach kindergarten to 12th grade students about space-based research, and assisted with UGA's first satellite launch.

Emmy Peach

Student

Emmy Peach is a second-year undergraduate majoring in Psychology with an emphasis in Neuroscience and a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Georgia. At the age of nineteen, she received an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis after struggling with social challenges and anxiety for years. She is fascinated by ASD, which affects nearly 1% of the world’s population.

Jack Harth

Student of Neuroscience

Jack Harth is a second-year doctoral student studying Neuroscience in the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia. He currently studies the human visual system and researches the role of cognitive health on lifespan development in the Institute of Gerontology.

Marques Dexter

Director of Student Initiatives

At the University of Georgia, Marques R. Dexter serves as the Assistant Director of Student Initiatives in the Office of Institutional Diversity and interim Director of the Georgia African American Male Experience program. As a former collegiate track and field coach and current doctoral candidate in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, Marques researches the identity development of high-achieving black male athletes. Marques is passionate about athlete activism and how it can change society for the better.

Sudhan Chitgopkar

Student

Sudhan Chitgopkar is a third-year undergraduate studying Computer Science and International Affairs at the University of Georgia. Sudhan is fascinated by mathematical visualizations and creates generative art, a type of artwork created using algorithms and autonomous systems. He combines code, mathematics, and nature to explore patterns that we encounter in our everyday lives.

Sun Joo Grace Ahn

Virtual Reality Researcher + Professor

At the University of Georgia, Dr. Sun Joo Grace Ahn is the founding Director of the Games and Virtual Environments Lab, a cutting-edge virtual technology facility dedicated to bringing students and faculty into the world of VR. A renowned researcher and Associate Professor in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Dr. Ahn studies how immersive environments influence our attitudes and behaviors in the physical world.