Theme: Connect

Our world is made up of connections—an intricate web built from the ties of biology and the wires of technology. At the University of Georgia, we’ve found that the remarkable can happen when unexpected connections occur: paths cross, forces combine, people collaborate, and new ideas come alive. The most powerful connections are the ones we never see coming. At TEDxUGA 2018, we explored the stories, experiences, and ideas that emerge when things connect.

Classic Center Theatre
300 N Thomas St
Athens, Georgia, 30601
United States

DeRetta Cole Rhodes

Chief human resources officer for YMCA of Metro Atlanta

Dr. DeRetta Cole Rhodes is the chief human resources officer for YMCA of Metro Atlanta. Previously, Dr. Cole Rhodes has held leadership positions at First Data, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc, Ernst & Young, HomeGrocer.com, ADP, and YUM brand. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia, her Master in Business Administration from Clark Atlanta University, and her PhD in Adult Education from the College of Education. Her experiences in the workforce inspired her dissertation focused on female leadership in corporate America.

Elizabeth Hardister

Student

Elizabeth Hardister is a fourth-year student from Dunwoody, Georgia. She is completing her Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Master of Public Health in Disaster Management. As a CURO Honors Scholar, she conducts research with the Institute for Disaster Management in hurricane planning and evacuations in Georgia. In the future, Hardister hopes to pursue a career as an emergency management specialist.

Faiz Ali Saulat

Student

Faiz Ali Saulat is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Biology with Pre-Med intent. He is the co-founder of Shifa Clinic Athens, a free healthcare clinic serving the low-income population of Athens and its neighboring areas. Saulat is also operations director and a contributing author for the Georgia Political Review. He is passionate about serving those with limited access to healthcare as well as writing about the ills of underprivileged communities. In the future, he hopes to travel abroad as both a physician and journalist to deliver healthcare and report on privilege disparities.

Family and Friends

Performer

Family And Friends is an Athens-based indie-rock band made up of UGA graduates. After taking home the 2014 Flagpole Music Award for ‘Artist of the Year’ within their inaugural year of playing together, the band has since gone on to play sold-out shows at Georgia Theatre, headline Athfest, and tour nationally behind their two EPs, Love You Mean It and XOXO. Featuring duel drummers, collective harmonies, and an all-around emphasis on living in the moment, the group’s explosive live show erupts with energy and radiates their all-inclusive communal spirit. In 2018, the band looks forward to releasing their debut full-length album and continuing to reach new audiences and connect with others through music.

Godfrey O. Powell Jr.

Head of Product Strategy at Facebook

Godfrey O. Powell, Jr is head of product strategy at Facebook’s Building 8, which focuses on developing innovative augmented and virtual reality hardware products. Powell earned bachelor’s degrees in both Finance and Management Information Systems from the Terry College of Business and a Master of Business Administration from New York University. He was humbled to be a UGA 40 under 40 recipient in 2014. Powell first began his career in investment banking but later transitioned into entertainment, media, and technology; he has held positions at both Marvel Entertainment and Samsung Electronics. He now lives in San Jose, California with his wife and three young children.

J. Marshall Shepherd

Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences

Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences. He is the director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program and a professor and associate department head in the Department of Geography. He received his B.S., M.S. and PhD in physical meteorology from Florida State University. As a leading international expert in weather and climate, Dr. Shepherd has received many honors and awards, including the 2018 HMS Helmut Landsberg Award, and has appeared on national media platforms like CNN and the Today Show. He also hosts Weather Geeks, a pioneering science talk show that airs Sundays on The Weather Channel. Dr. Shepherd currently chairs the NASA Earth Science Committee and advises key leaders at NASA, the White House, Congress, Department of Defense, and officials from foreign countries.

Janet Geddis

Founder and owner of Avid Bookshop

Janet Geddis is the founder and owner of Avid Bookshop, an award-winning local business with two locations in Athens. After earning her Master in Education in Educational Psychology from the College of Education, the lifelong bibliophile spent years planning for the business, which opened its doors in 2011. Named a top-five finalist in Publisher’s Weekly 2017 Bookstore of the Year competition, Avid Bookshop is one of the country’s premier destinations for readers. Geddis also moonlights as “The Migraine Girl” and discusses the challenges of being chronically ill as they relate to founding and managing a thriving business.

Katy O'Brien

Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education

Dr. Katy O’Brien is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, where she leads the Cognitive-Communication Brain Rehab Lab. Dr. O’Brien received her PhD in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences from the University of Minnesota and also has clinical experience as a speech language pathologist working with adults with neurogenic disorders. Currently, her research focuses on traumatic brain injury and concussion, specifically supporting college students as they return to their studies, as well as examining how adults with TBI think, talk, and plan for the future.

Nick Fuhrman

Associate Professor of Environmental Education in the Department of Agricultural Leadership

Dr. Nick Fuhrman is an associate professor of environmental education in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication. Also known as “Ranger Nick,” he teaches graduate courses in educational program development and data analysis and undergraduate courses in environmental education and teaching methods. Dr. Fuhrman received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Forestry from Virginia Tech and his PhD in Agricultural Education and Communication from the University of Florida. His life’s passion is teaching, and he often uses live animals (such as snakes, turtles, and owls) in the classroom and on his monthly television series, Ranger Nick. Dr. Fuhrman and his wife, Jessica, have a son, Miles, who already seems to love animals and the outdoors as much as his dad.