Anthony Tang
YouTube Creator
Anthony Tang is currently studying finance within the Business Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin. As part-time YouTuber, Anthony enjoys creating college advice videos, filming vlogs, and recording song covers on his violin. Anthony will be speaking at TEDxClearSpringsHS regarding his experience using YouTube as a means to give as well as receive college application advice. To Anthony, YouTube is a source of inspiration and education for people across all fields, and he looks forward to discussing the platform's creative method of sharing content and bringing communities together.
Jennifer Matsui
PhD in Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Jennifer K. Matsui recently received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania while studying photoredox-mediated processes to effect single-electron transformations. She specializes in organic and medicinal chemistry and received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. Dr. Matsui seeks to diversify the field of chemistry as she founded the Association for Cultural Diversity in Chemistry during her first year at the University of Pennsylvania and worked with Women in Chemistry to encourage middle school students to pursue STEM fields.
During her graduate and Ph.D. studies, Dr. Matsui has received international recognition for her work; she has received the Women Chemists Committee Merck Research Award at the American Chemical Society National Meeting, was one of four Alfred R. Bader Award for Student Innovation Finalists in Darmstadt, Germany, and was received the Women Chemists Committee or Eli Lilly Travel Award.
Megna Murali
Bharatanatyam Dancer
Megna Murali is an Indian Classical (Bharatanatyam) dancer from Dallas, TX. She will speak at TEDxClearSpringsHS regarding her use of Bharatanatyam as a form of social activism.
Megna started her Bharatanatyam dancing lessons when she was 4 ½ years old completing her Arangetram at 11 years under guru Radhika Ganesh. She was the recipient of the dance scholarship from the Dance Council of North Texas in 2011. Currently she is training under Mrs. Rama Vaidhyanathan and architects programs dedicated to educational outreach, social causes and fundraising. Megna is also actively pursuing Kathak, the North Indian dance form, under guru Murali Mohan Kalvakalva in India. She has danced at innumerable performances at several prestigious venues and festivals all across the US and India. Megna currently lives and works in Los Angeles working as an Environmental Planner for Rincon Consultants.
Nicholas Schreiber
Calculus Teacher
Mr. Nicholas Schreiber is a fourth year math teacher at Clear Springs High School, originally from Plymouth, Michigan. He is a graduate of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, with majors in Mathematics and Secondary Education. Mr. Schreiber's unique classroom methods are developed from Jo Boaler's studies on the 'growth mindset' and helping all students realize they have the potential to become a "math person".
Cancer Researcher
Dr. Omid Veiseh is a CPRIT Scholar in cancer research and an assistant professor of bioengineering at Rice University. Dr. Veiseh will speak at TEDxClearSpringsHS regarding the advancement of cancer research and why cancer has not been cured yet, though technology has developed rapidly in the past century. Prior to joining Rice, Veiseh worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at MIT and Harvard Medical School. The Veiseh laboratory utilizes advanced nano, micro, and macro fabrication techniques in combination with molecular engineering and cellular biology to develop implantable devices tailored for the delivery of therapeutics.
Asst. Professor of Psychology, Rice University
Dr. Sandra Parsons is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rice University. She will speak at TEDxClearSpringsHS on the importance of self reflection and flourishing.
Dr. Parsons spends her time mentoring undergraduates, teaching courses such as “Introduction to Psychology” and “Motivation and Emotion”. She is also a departmental advisor as well as a faculty adviser for Psi Chi, an honor society for psychology majors. Her research focuses on themes such as social identity and decision making, among other interests.
Shanetra Hodge-Hill and Shaletra Jordan
Co-Authors, "Leap of Faith"
Dr. Shaletra Jordan and Dr. Shanetra Hodge-Hill, co-authors of "Leap of Faith", are doctorally prepared CRNAs, and will speak at TEDxClearSpringsHS about overcoming adversity in life. They were Critical Care Trauma RNs for eight years and CRNAs for three plus years. Both obtained their Master’s in Nurse Anesthesia from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas and Doctor of Nursing Practice from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During the advancement of their nursing career, they have had several cancer treatments for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. As cancer survivors, they are able to help their surgical patients maintain a positive outlook while going through their own cancer treatments. They have also inspired others to never give up on their career goals and dreams despite the challenges in life.