UNLV plans first-ever TEDx event for April 11
UNLV’s first-ever TEDx event will take place April 11 at the university.
Talks will be given by speakers ranging from positive psychologists to photographers, poets and scientists. Several UNLV professors will also present.
Among the 15 speakers are Jeffrey L. Cummings, director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health; Noah Blimentha, CEO of SwayWhat.com; and Julia Britz, founder of My OCD Diary website and YouTube channel.
TED, which stands for “technology, entertainment, design,” began as a four-day conference in California where speakers such as Bill Gates and Jane Goodall shared innovative and inspiring ideas in 18 minutes.
TEDx events are independently organized but approved by the organization.
Michael Grema, an organizer of TEDxUNLV, said the theme, “Flipping the Switch,” is meant to symbolize the sparking or igniting of ideas.
Honors college students Grema, Karissa Dold and Kimberly San Agustin dreamed up the event. Twenty or so students and additional faculty also helped plan TEDxUNLV.
“Vegas isn’t what you think it is,” he said. “We’re flipping the switch on something new and innovative.”
TEDxUNLV will have three subthemes: ignite, imagine and illuminate.
The ignite session is meant to inspire the audience, Grema said.
Imagine is meant to encourage attendees to imagine the future of Las Vegas and UNLV.
Illuminate “brings it all togther,” Grema said. “To show that great things are happening in Vegas, from the university of downtown. We are a great global platform.”
Tickets cost $100 and are limited to 100.
TED2014 will take place in March in Vancouver, British Columbia, and TEDGlobal2014 will be held in Rio de Janeiro in October.
Contact reporter Kristy Totten at ktotten@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3809. Follow @kristy_tea on Twitter.
