In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston, Texas, 77005
United States

Abigail Robert

Abigail Robert is a third-year undergraduate student at Rice University studying classical studies and minoring in Biosciences. Abigail is an experienced memory care caregiver. Her hands-on experience working in long-term care provides insight into the challenges and nuances of aging and dementia. Abigail seeks to contribute to advancements in patient-centric geriatric healthcare through Patient Priorities Care research. She cares deeply about elder abuse prevention, educating peers about the ways the dignity of the elderly population is threatened and has even recently become a published author!

Daniel Cho

Daniel Cho, who attended undergrad at Rice and holds a Master of Accounting, is an internationally seasoned musician who has always sought out difficult questions of emotion and social impact in his writing. He currently compiles AAPI interviews at the Houston Asian American Archive; guides nonprofit finance at The Concert Truck; and serves as class representative and DEl committee member at the Jones School at Rice. Daniel particularly values promoting diverse, multidisciplinary mindsets throughout the workplace.

Dr. Cary Jensen

Dr. Cary Jensen received his Ph.D. from Rice in 1988, and has been an avid communicator of technical material for the 36 years that he and his wife (Dr. Loy Anderson, also a Rice Ph.D.) have been in business. He is the author of more than 30 technical books, countless magazine articles, a featured speaker at technical conferences throughout much of the world, and a seasoned author of, and principal trainer for, multi-day training workshops. He’s also a software engineer and user-interface designer.

Dr. Maria Luján Stasevicius

Dr. Stasevicius holds a Ph.D. in Spanish and Cultural Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She obtained her BA in Literature and Education in Argentina, where she is from. Her fields of interest and expertise are Intercultural Communication, Cultural Studies, and Curriculum Development in Higher Education. Since she arrived at Rice in 2016, she has designed and developed academic materials and hosted professional workshops about interculturality and diversity in the workplace besides participating and hosting meetings at regional and international conferences.

Erezi Umuakpero

Erezi Umuakpero is an alumnus of the European University of Lefke in Northern Cyprus and Lambton College in Ontario Canada. With a wealth of experience spanning over eight years as a building manager, Erezi adeptly balances his professional career with his roles as a devoted husband and father of two. His profound dedication extends beyond his familial commitments, as he champions the cause of men’s mental health, striving to empower individuals to navigate stress more effectively. Outside of his professional and personal endeavors, Erezi finds solace and fulfillment in quality time spent with his family and actively contributes to his local church community through service.

Martha Fowler

Martha Fowler is currently a bioengineering doctoral student at Rice University. Here, her primary focus is on utilizing 3D fabrication approaches to develop therapeutic devices and cell carriers for various disease applications. She has been named a recipient of the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellowship at Rice University to translate her therapeutic solutions into a biotech startup. While studying as a master’s student at Northern Arizona University, Martha studied the development of benchtop devices to understand brain tumor behavior and taught the lab and lecture for an anatomy and physiology course before working at UTHealth McGovern Medical School.