Theme: Finding You!

Join UTA for our upcoming TEDxUTA event! The theme is 'Finding
You!' Come to learn from people of the community and hear their
perspectives and experiences of the journey of finding themselves!

E. H. Hereford University Center
Guadalupe Room - 2nd Floor
300 W. First St., Arlington, TX
Arlington, Texas, 76019
United States

Anna Melton

UTA Communications Major

Anna Melton (she/her/hers) is a UTA Interpersonal Communications student who is involved in various extracurricular activities across campus. She is a member and former Student Director for the Leadership Honors Program, president and member of the Fellowship of Christian University Students. She has also worked for a national for-profit helping small and large non-profits raise money. Anna’s motivation is the first step is seeking progress, and inspiration can come from the outside world as well as within. Through her journey she has learned how to analyze different forms of motivation and how to put them into practice. Anna’s fun fact, is that she watches Hallmark movies and crochets in her free time.

Ashley Khuon

UTA Computer Science Major

Ashley Khuon (she/her) is a UTA Computer Science student who is also a Thai Laos Cambodian historian, MOBI Designer and Painting with a Twist Instructor. Her TEDx Talk centers around an integral part of humankind---fears. Fear is an innate feeling to steer us away from potentially harmful situations. However, sometimes we may have irrational or inflated fears. This TEDx Talk was made to touch upon that subject, specifically the fear of the unknown. She is a four-time speaker for an annual event called Mansfield Speaks, a high-school specific equivalent of a Ted Talk. She would like to thank everyone for attending to her first Ted Talk.

Asmin Pothula

UTA Student, Computer Science

Asmin Pothula is a UTA Computer Science student, planning to a minor in Math or Forensic Applications of Science and Technology. Asmin is an artist who likes painting and working on various and different mediums and platforms. Asmin currently speak 3 languages, and partially understands 4 other languages verbally, so they definitely love learning new languages. Asmin also enjoys travelling and learning about new cultures. Additionally, Asmin enjoys watching movies and good television series in their free time. Asmin’s fun fact is that they are sort of an expert in charades & Pictionary. Asmin is an active member of the UTA community participating in EXCEL Campus Activities’ membership committee, Social media chair for Engineers Without Borders - UTA chapter and MavsGoGreen organizations, a Programming Board Coordinator for the Honors College, and an organizer for hackUTA’23.

Chris Benevich

Founder and CEO of Revel Data Incorporated

Chris Benevich has served as a technology thought leader, innovator, speaker, author and coach for over 30 years. As the Founder and President of Revel Data Incorporated, she helps companies discover and deploy actionable insights from their data. She also works for GlobalLogic on a Top 10 technology client contract and enjoys the performing arts in her spare time.

Christina Roach

UTA PR Specialist

Christina Roach is a PR lecturer at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) with over 10 years of communication experience in public and private organizations. Throughout her career, Christina has developed a passion for creating compelling messages for internal and external audiences and doing work that makes a difference. When she's not teaching, Christina enjoys writing, playing volleyball, watching anime and occasionally indulging in trash TV.

Geoff Campbell

UTA Journalism Professor

Geoff Campbell teaches journalism at the University of Texas at Arlington. He began his career as a journalist in Washington, D.C., where he covered the executive branch, Congress, and the Supreme Court. He wrote a chapter on attribution that appears in Writing for media audiences: a handbook for multi-platform news, advertising and public relations, which was published by Kendall Hunt. In addition, he wrote seven non-fiction books and has extensive professional writing experience that includes work for weekly newsletters, daily newspapers, magazines and a wire service. He’s currently working on a memoir that examines his mother’s experience during World War II.

Shabaz Brown

Director, Office for Cultural Engagement and Social Change (CESC) at UTA

Shabaz Brown is a Mississippi native and first-generation college graduate. She received her B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences from Mississippi State University, where she was a Cultural Diversity Center Peer Ambassador and Vice President of the Nu Beta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She went on to receive her M.S. in Educational Psychology from the University of North Texas. She has been adjunct instructor of Educational Psychology and a member of several research teams that study the impacts of systemic oppression on the well-being of marginalized folks, including the effects of discrimination on young Black adults’ mental health. Currently serving as the Director of the CESC, Shabaz is excited to serve her community, & build relationships that will have lasting impact. Her goal is to advocate for and support communities through an equity and inclusion lens. Shabaz also enjoys watching TED Talks, meditation, and spending time in nature with her community.

Yaseen Tasnif

UTA Student, Sociology Linguistics Double Major

Yaseen Tasnif (they/them) is a UTA Sociology Linguistics double major. They wanted to do this because intersectionality is a core focus of their activism and they wanted to share its importance with as many people as possible. In order to share as much as they can, they are doing so through their perspective as a South Asian American. Yaseen is also a student senator for the College of Liberal Arts, and Honors College student A fun fact about Yaseen is that they know, to some extent, seven languages.