Theme: Illumination

The TEDxUF 2023 Annual Conference is devoted to uncovering truths and to highlight the distinctive voice that each speaker holds. From environmental sustainabilty to the way we can learn from the ancient greeks, TEDxUF showcases the brilliance and complexity of our world from the eyes of our speakers. As the teeth of cogs meet harmoniously to generate power, the strength of the Univeristy of Florida and the Gainesville community generates far more light than any individual gear. TEDxUF is a space of collaboration and partnership, working together to illuminate the world one idea at a time.

University Auditorium
333 Newell Dr
Gainesville, Florida, 32611
United States

Constance Rich

Biologist

Constance Rich is a Biologist whose experience ranges from the bench to the classroom to the biotech industry. She received her BSc from Georgia Tech and went on to complete her PhD at the University of Cambridge in Physiology, Development, and Neurosicence. Following post-doctoral research positions, she began teaching Anatomy, Physiology, and Molecular Biology at the University of Florida. There she saw her former self in her students and realized an important link between what her students were experiencing and what she was teaching: how the body reacts to stress and how it can be harnessed in the face of failure.

Derek LaMontagne

Chemistry graduate student

Derek LaMontagne is a chemistry graduate student at the University of Florida. When he’s not in the lab experimenting with nanoparticles or advocating for the environment, he's rallying to save one of UF’s most precious yet overlooked resources: graduate housing.

Dustin York

Associate Professor

Dr. Dustin York is an Associate Professor with a focus on digital transformation. Prior to entering academia, Dr. York worked in public relations for the 2008 Obama Presidential campaign and clients like Pepsi Co., and Nike. Beyond his primary passion for teaching, Dr. York is a subject matter expert for CNN, Fast Company, and Forbes, a contributor for Harvard Business Review, and serves as a national keynote speaker and consultant. Dr. York was awarded the St. Louis Business Journal 30 Under 30 Award, President’s Award for Strategic Leadership and Transformation Innovation, American Marketing Association 4 Under 40, and an Apple Distinguished Educator.

Eleni Bozia

Professor

Eleni Bozia studies linguistic and cultural diversity in Greco-Roman antiquity and its intersection with modern globalism. Founder of an international consortium for the digitization of historical artifacts, she promotes the collaboration between the humanities and the sciences. Bozia is also a pioneer in applying AI to the humanities. A professor at the University of Florida, Bozia holds two doctoral degrees: a Ph.D. in Classical Studies (University of Florida, 2009) and a Dr. Phil. in Digital Humanities (Universität Leipzig, 2018). Her work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and has been recognized with several awards, including the Young Researcher Scholarship from La Fondation Hardt in Geneva and the Mary A. Sollman Scholarship from the American Academy in Rome. Bozia has published widely and delivered talks on issues of identity, otherness, and belonging in literature and the digital preservation of world heritage.

Jamie Foster

Professor

Dr. Jamie Foster is Professor in the Microbiology and Cell Science department at the University of Florida. She works in the fields of astrobiology and space biology and has focused on how spaceflight impacts beneficial interactions between animals and microbes. Dr. Foster received her B.S. in Zoology from the University of Massachusetts- Amherst and her M.S. degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Southern California. She completed her Ph.D. in Zoology at the University of Hawai’i and then conducted Postdoctoral Fellowships in Microbiology at the National Institutes of Health and NASA Ames Research Center. Dr. Foster has conducted several spaceflight experiments aboard the space shuttle and International Space Station. She has also served on the Florida Space Grant Consortium Board of Directors, President of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research and on the NASA Biological and Physical Sciences Advisory Committee.

Ron Chandler

Assistant Instructional Professor

Dr. Ron Chandler is currently an Assistant Instructional Professor for UF Department of Psychology and the department’s Undergraduate Coordinator. He has Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin State University in Aquatic Biology and Wildlife Science, a Master of Science in Limnology and Aquatic Chemistry from Texas State University, and a PhD in Educational Psychology from Walden University. He teaches classes in the Psychology of Sustainability, Social Psychology, and Positive Psychology. Ron is also cofounder and president of Conservation Initiative for the Asian Elephant (CIFAE) a 501 (c)3 (2000). CIFAE’s mission is to “identify issues of critical importance to the sustainability of the Asian elephant and the peoples sharing its habitat.”

Sarah Jayasekaran

Instructional Assistant Professor

A Florida Gator herself, Dr. Jayasekaran has a Master's in Structural Engineering and PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida. As an Instructional Assistant Professor at UF, she not only brings knowledge, but compelling enthusiasm to the classroom. Dr J. is pursuing the implementation of smart concepts in her classes and focuses on increasing student retention in the field of Engineering. Born and raised in the coastal city of Chennai, India, Dr J. came to the United States to pursue her passion for teaching and hopes to inspire her students to take risks. When she is not educating future engineers and planners, Dr J. enjoys pushing her limits at CrossFit. In her spare time, she loves reading books, listening to podcasts, cooking new recipes, and planning her future adventures.