Theme: Emerge

Welcome to "Emerge: Unseen Horizons, Unheard Stories" - a TEDxDenisonU conference where a diverse lineup of speakers will delve into unexplored territories, unveiling narratives that challenge conventional wisdom and reshape our understanding of the world. Through insightful discussions, we aim to illuminate overlooked, marginalized, and transformative aspects of the human experience. Join us for an engaging journey, as our presenters share fresh perspectives that promise to inspire, provoke contemplation, and reshape the way we perceive the world around us. This event is an invitation to emerge into a realm of possibilities, where the unveiling of untold stories will enrich your understanding and ignite your imagination.

100 West College Street
Granville, Ohio, 43023
United States

Asesha Dayal

Digital Content Strategist

Asesha Dayal is a Digital Content Strategist at Denison University, where she works primarily on the website's user experience and information architecture. She graduated with a B.A. in Communication from Denison University in 2017. Her approach is to be creative and analytical, think strategically and pay attention to detail to produce a strategy that complements the digital platform and achieves set goal. With Asesha, connection is the force that drives her. But how can we stay connected? Through this TEDxDenisonU talk, she will explore how connections can transcend physical space through the Internet. By sharing personal experiences, Asesha answers the question of how we can belong to multiple cultures and form connections through the use of technology.

Chris Crews

Professor in International Studies and Writing Program

Chris Crews is a Visiting Assistant Professor in International Studies and the Writing Program at Denison University. His research focuses on social movements, Indigenous rights, environmental justice, religious nationalism, and extremist politics, and he is currently working on a book tentatively titled "The Woke Wars." He identifies as both a scholar of social movements as well as a lifelong activist, beginning with student activism and alter-globalization politics in the mid-1990s. He earned a PhD in Politics from the New School for Social Research in New York City and a Masters in Political Science from Ohio University.

Genevieve Pfister

English and Creative Writing Student

Genevieve Pfister '24 (she/her) is an English-Creative Writing Major and Theatre Minor at Denison University. Outside of classes, she runs Stories on the Hill volunteer reading committee, writes for The Denisonian student newspaper, is involved in student theatre productions, and serves on the executive boards of Denison's Writers' Club and Green Team. Genevieve's speech topic describes the lack of women writers represented in the American literary canon, the body of literary works most frequently read and taught in US classrooms. Her speech will discuss some of the historical roots of the exclusion, explore why it remains a problem, and present a database created by the speaker to help bring a diverse array of forgotten women writers into the academic & literary limelight they deserve.

Kendrah Mpare

Global Health and International Studies Student

Kendrah Ayisibea Mpare is a spring start sophomore with a double major in Global Health and International Studies. Her favorite thing to do at Denison University is to watch any and everything going on at Eisner. Her favorite play so far is Eurydice. At TEDxDenisonU, she hopes to bring to the stage the idea that asserts in the importance of cultural connection, however cautions that culture is a personal journey, not something used to question or weapon against others.

Lew Ludwig

Mathematics and Computer Science Professor

Lew Ludwig is the Director of the Center for Learning and Teaching and Professor of Mathematics at Denison University. With over two decades of experience in higher education, Lew has been at the forefront of integrating generative AI into the academic landscape. He is recognized for his innovative approach in leading over 20 workshops, webinars, and keynotes on generative AI in higher education, spanning from local to national stages. His expertise is not just limited to AI; he's also a skilled educator in mathematics, having contributed to numerous publications and projects, including the 'MAA Instructional Practices Guide Project' with significant NSF funding. Lew's passion for enhancing education through innovative teaching methodologies and fostering inclusive learning environments has earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious 2021 POD Innovation Award.

Maddie Luebkert

Communication and Journalism Student

Maddie is a part of class of 2027, double majoring in Journalism and Communication. At Denison, she works at the student-run newspaper The Denisonian as an assistant social media manager. She works for the organization America Reads by tutoring kindergarteners and second graders at local elementary schools. During her free time, she participates in a couple of different dance groups on campus such as IDM and the Ballet Club. Her speech topic focuses on an immense amount of misinformation and disinformation circulating online as we became more dependent on technology. This spread of false information is having very real consequences in not just the political climate of the U.S. but in many different countries. In order to understand the impacts of fake news and how it spreads, it is essential to look back at examples of false information throughout history as well as the recent events directly caused by the spreading of false information.