Theme: Ignite Change

Apologies for the livestream difficulty--please click on "additional links" on the left-hand side of this page to see the correct link to the livestream.

TEDxVillanovaU is an on-campus organization that provides a platform to Villanova students, faculty, staff, and alumni to share their stories and perspectives with the greater Villanova and TED communities.

We strive to be an inclusive and diverse organization as we empower the valuable voices of whose voices may not normally be heard, and work alongside other organizations on campus to shape what it means to be a Villanovan.

This year’s theme is "Ignite Change". This conference theme speaks to a central focus at Villanova. For Villanovans, Ignite Change means becoming who we are not yet. We seek to uplift the amazing members of our Villanova community contributing to three key areas that embody “Ignite Change” for our institution of higher education: research change, personal and interpersonal growth, and cultural change. In line with this theme, we encourage you all to take home the messages from today and ignite change in your lives and communities.

Please view our digital Event Program to read about each of our eight (8) featured speakers for this conference!

This event is striving to be a "ZERO WASTE" event, meaning please bring your own reusable water bottle! We are also collecting donations to the Upper Merion Area Community Cupboard--so please bring non-perishable food to donate!

Doors open at 11:30am and talks will start at 12:00pm. A catered reception will follow the talks at approximately 4:30pm. Open to the public, and registration at the door is possible! Pre-registration is encouraged but not required.

Villanova University
800 E Lancaster Ave
Villanova, Pennsylvania, 19085
United States

Brian D. Seymour

Dr. Brian D. Seymour holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Tyler School of Art at Temple University. His research focuses on art collecting and the public sphere, with particular emphasis on Philadelphia around the turn of the twentieth century. Brian is an Associate Professor at the Community College of Philadelphia where he was honored with the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. He also teaches here at Villanova University and at the Barnes Foundation. In support of his research, he served as a Graduate Associate Fellow at the Center for Humanities at Temple University and received research grants from the Center for American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Ruskin Library and Research Centre. Outside of academia, Brian is an accomplished singer/songwriter whose songs have been placed in feature films, television, and advertising. He has been covered by diverse artists and can be found on Spotify!

C. 'Nat' Nataraj

C. ‘Nat’ Nataraj is the Moritz Endowed Professor in Engineered Systems at Villanova University and leads the Villanova Center for Analytics of Dynamic Systems (VCADS). Dr. Nataraj’s primary research interest is nonlinear dynamics of engineering and biomedical systems spanning over dynamics, unmanned systems, autonomy, control and diagnostics. He has authored a textbook and 250+ articles on these research topics. In addition, he has supervised numerous research projects with a total funding amount of over $15 million. He is the founding podcast host for “Nodycast”, supported by Springer Nature. Dr. Nataraj is a Life Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a recipient of several prestigious research awards.

Jean Wintz-Dabney

Jean Wintz-Dabney, is a Sr. Foundation Program Specialist at the Independence Blue Cross Foundation. She works on a portfolio of Maternal Health and Digital Health Equity initiatives, having worked in the social services and social justice field for the past 15 years, serving in several roles within Public Health and International Organizations. She is dedicated to work that affects systems level change to empower and positively impact the quality of life of the populations she serves. Jean graduated from Villanova University with a Master of Science in Public Administration in 2017. Jean was born in Berbice, Guyana and migrated to the U.S. in 2011. She is a wife and mother, and current Vice President of the Young Caribbean Professional Network, a Philadelphia-based Non-Profit organization that promotes social and economic advancement for young professionals through scholarships and networking. In her spare time, Jean enjoys traveling, planning family trips, cooking, and developing recipes, and engaging community members in service projects. She hopes to establish a Non-Profit organization to offer wrap-around services to community members seeking assistance with career development, resource navigation and skill building particularly within the immigrant and refugee communities.

Leeanne R. Hay

Leeanne R. Hay is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Texas and author of the book NPE* A STORY GUIDE FOR UNEXPECTED DNA DISCOVERIES (published in 2021) about navigating the shock and trauma that one in ten people experience when an at-home DNA test reveals a parent is not a biological relative. Leeanne is one of this group. She is a graduate of Villanova University with a Bachelor of Arts in History, and minors in Sociology and Criminal Justice. While researching her book, she earned professional certificates in Trauma & Resilience from the Florida State University, College of Social Work.

Maria Federica Pagano

Federica, an accomplished HR advisor with 16 years of expertise in multinational matrixed organizations across industries such as oil and gas, hospitality, wineries, and higher education, also holds a distinguished role as a career transitions coach at a global consulting firm. Federica is fluent in both English and Spanish. Specializing in professional development, she leads coaching programs that emphasize outplacement, diversity, equity, and inclusion training sessions, aligning talent priorities with business needs for conscious and inclusive practices. Federica earned her MS in Human Resources Development from Villanova University in 2020, complemented by a Graduate Certificate as a Human Resources Business Partner from the same institution. She holds a Bachelor's in Human Relations from Champagnat University (in Argentina) and is a Certified Professional in Human Resources (SHRM-CP) by the Society of Human Resources Management. Federica is also a Master in Coaching with Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), and a Practitioner in NLP at the Institut Gestalt (Spain).

Mike Martin

Mike Martin is the Founder and CEO of Top Down Strategies, empowering CEOs, executives, business owners, and leaders with the best business strategies to improve their effectiveness, achieve their goals, and live their desired lives. Before starting Top Down Strategies, Mike built multiple consulting practices, leveraging his Villanova degree in Computer Science. He has worked with over 150 clients of all sizes as a trusted advisor across various industries to improve business processes, systems, and effectiveness. His experience with clients and building his practices gave him insight into running, growing, and managing a business. Mike has been invited to speak to thousands of entrepreneurs, business leaders, executives, and professionals at national IBM and Oracle conferences, and various regional conferences, including being featured as a keynote speaker.

Qianhong Wu

Dr. Qianhong Wu is a full Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Villanova University (VU). He is the director of Villanova Cellular Biomechanics and Sports Science Laboratory (CBMSS), and the director of the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Programs. Dr. Wu received his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering from The City College of The City University of New York in 2005 working with Prof. Sheldon Weinbaum, and subsequently joined the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at VU. Dr. Wu applies fundamental principles of fluid dynamics to the bio and bio-inspired applications. Supported by federal, state and industrial grants, Dr. Wu has published extensively on these topics and has been widely reported in Physical Review Letters®, Science®, Nature®, Science Daily®, The Doctor’s Channel® and NBC 10 Morning Report ®, etc. Dr. Wu serves on the editorial board as the Associate Editor for three International Peer Review Journals, ASME Journal of Fluids Engineering, Journal of Porous Media, and Special Topics & Reviews in Porous Media: An International Journal.

Shannon Connaghan

Shannon Connaghan, a Villanova University School of Business alumna, boasts a strong background in business administration and accounting. She began her career in public accounting at PwC, later transitioning to in-house roles. With extensive experience in global tax and technology, Ms. Connaghan has excelled in roles at multinational corporations. As a trusted advisor and cross-functional team leader, she collaborates with diverse stakeholders to optimize tax strategies. Presently, she serves as a Strategic Tax Planning Manager at Haleon, a consumer healthcare leader known for trusted brands like Advil and Tums. She has overseen pivotal initiatives such as global ERP system implementations and corporate restructurings. Recently earning her MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler, Ms. Connaghan's intellectual curiosity and passion for public speaking have led her to speak at many conferences.