Theme: Thousands Strong

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).

University of Oklahoma - Meacham Auditorium
900 Asp Avenue
Norman, Oklahoma, 73069
United States

The Crimson Chords

A cappella ensemble

Founded in 2006 as an all-girls group, The Crimson Chords today are OU’s only co-ed, student-led, contemporary a cappella ensemble. The members of The Crimson Chords write their own a cappella arrangements of music from a variety of genres (indie, pop, film scores, musical theatre, and anything else you could think of) and perform them at their mid-semester and end-of-semester concerts, as well as campus events and small local venues.

Beau Jennings

Musician, Filmmaker, Architect

Beau Jennings is a musician, filmmaker, and former architect currently based in Oklahoma. Originally the frontman and songwriter for the indie-rock/Americana band Cheyenne, he toured the U.S. while calling both Brooklyn and Austin home. Jennings’ latest project is a documentary film and accompanying album entitled The Verdigris: In Search of Will Rogers, retracing Will Rogers’ life journey from coast to coast and retelling his story through original songs.

Connor Sullivan

Graduate Student at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Connor Sullivan is a Doctor of Audiology graduate student at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Connor, born with a hearing loss, currently has a cochlear implant and a hearing aid. Connor received his Bachelors of Science from the University of Oklahoma in December 2014. Connor currently is a Graduate Clinical Assistant for the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial team as well as a Graduate Research Assistant for the Hearing Evaluation, Rehabilitation, and Outcomes Laboratory at OUHSC. Connor has presented both nationally and internationally on the topic of Large Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome, the disorder that resulted in his hearing loss. Connor is passionate about using his personal experiences alongside clinical knowledge in audiology to help children and their families who are impacted by hearing loss.

Doug Gaffin

Scorpion Expert

Doug Gaffin earned his PhD from Oregon State University in 1994 and joined the OU faculty in 1995. He is a professor in the Department of Biology and former dean of University College. Doug has taught Introductory Zoology to more than 20,000 students throughout his career and is currently teaching honors courses as part of the Presidential Teaching Fellows in Honors Program. He has received the Outstanding Freshman Advocate Award from the National Center for the First-Year Experience, the Regents’ Award for Superior Teaching, and the David Ross Boyd Professorship. Dr. Gaffin’s research focuses on understanding the special sensory abilities of scorpions and other arthropods. In his spare time, he enjoys volleyball, camping, biking, hiking, and playing the banjo.

Jacki Bradshaw

Mechanical Engineering Student

My name is Jacki Bradshaw and I am originally from Jenks, Oklahoma. I am currently studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. What I feel everyone needs to know about me is I love to make people laugh, I am without a doubt an extrovert, and I am obsessed with Game of Thrones.What Being a Lesbian and a Sorority President Taught Me About Sisterhood

Jonathan Stalling

Associate Professor of English

Jonathan Stalling is an Associate Professor of English at OU specializing in Modern-Contemporary American and East-West Poetics, Comparative Literature, and Translation Studies and is the co-founder and editor of Chinese Literature Today. Over the last 15 years, Stalling has explored the poetics of transliteration and interlanguages (his thesis at the University of Edinburgh in 2000 was entitled "Prefacing the Text: Toward a Transliterational Telos") and this work led to the publication of Yingelishi and more recently Phonotaxis, but over the last several years this preoccupation has led to larger projects on accents in language as epistemic space and on radical new paradigms of ESL pedagogy.

Kristen Baird

Future Biology Teacher

Kristen Baird is a junior at OU studying secondary science education with a minor in Spanish. She is currently studying to become a high school biology teacher and has been selected for the Urban Teachers Preparation Academy, preparing her to teach in the Oklahoma City Public School district upon graduation. She also hopes to pursue a master’s in social justice in education. In the meantime, she works as a valet to fund her lavish lifestyle of living in a 40-year-old apartment and eating too much mac n cheese. Parking cars at the Norman hospitals and at a high-end restaurant in the city has given her the opportunity to encounter people with vastly different circumstances, and she will be forever thankful for this new view of humanity.

Meg Myers Morgan

Assistant Professor of Political Science

Meg is a woman with too little time on her hands to write as though she’s got nothing but time. Even still, she’s written a humorous blog since 2010, and she has been published in print and syndicated online. An Oklahoma native, Meg received her undergraduate degree in English and Creative Writing from Drury University, and her MPA and PhD from the University of Oklahoma. Meg lives in Tulsa with her husband and two daughters. She works as an assistant professor of political science and writes feverishly in the minuscule time after her children go to bed and before her nightcap.

Merleyn Bell

Art Director

Merleyn Bell is Art Director at the University of Oklahoma’s premiere literary publication, World Literature Today. In 2015, Merleyn created the radio show Race Matters as a platform for conversations with authors, activists, and scholars about the pressing topic of race. The show enriches the diverse offerings from World Literature Today, which celebrates its 90th year of continuous publication in 2016. During her decade-long tenure at World Literature Today, she has led the creation and development of the organization’s print and digital publications. Her design work has garnered many awards and made her a sought-after consultant to publications the world over. Before joining the staff at World Literature Today, Merleyn worked as a student intern for the organization. She now enjoys mentoring a new generation of students who are curious about the magazine publishing industry. Merleyn also works with a number of clients in the nonprofit sector, using her design expertise to help them

Zainab Shakir

Microbiology Student

Zainab Shakir is a senior at OU, studying microbiology with minors in chemistry, Spanish, and history. She aspires to a career in the health sciences, and serves as an interpreter at the Manos Juntas free medical clinic. In addition to volunteering, she tutors for the OU Honors College Writing Center and is the Vice Chair of Adjudication for the OU Integrity Council. Despite what her academic pursuits suggest, Zainab is also an avid writer; she has completed two novel-length works and multiple short stories. Zainab hopes to spark a love of writing in other students, and to make a positive impact on her community through her written works. In her free time, she enjoys piano, swimming, painting, and yoga.