Theme: Illuminate

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).

LSU Union Theater
310 LSU Student Union
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70893
United States

Andrea Eastin

Clothing Designer and Educator

Clothing designer and educator Andrea Eastin is demystifying the unseen forces behind mass-produced clothing. Andrea honed her practice via her clothing design, sewing in the film industry and private consulting positions, but her roots in maker communities keep her passionate about illuminating clothing and our relationship with it. Today she drives Fair Fit Studio, a sewing studio in Baton Rouge that offers personalized instruction on how to sew and make your own clothing. She holds a BFA in Visual Arts from the University of Iowa and an MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has worked in various fashion creation, presentation and curation capacities in the making and business of clothing. Andrea is raising awareness of the environmental and human implications of off-the-rack clothing while empowering people to understand the concepts, systems and mechanics behind clothes so they are inspired to engage their own creations.

Brandon Ballengée

Biologist and Visual Artist

Brandon Ballengée is a visual artist, biologist and environmental educator whose nature-inspired artworks are raising awareness of the human impact on the environment and garnering international acclaim. His artwork has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and internationally in more than 20 countries. A central focus of his research been the occurrence of developmental deformities and population declines among amphibians and other cold-blooded vertebrates. His book Malamp: The Occurrence of Deformities in Amphibians, was published in 2010, followed by a solo exhibition at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. He continued his amphibian research as a visiting scientist at McGill University in Montréal and earned a PhD in Transdisciplinary Art and Biology from Plymouth University in the United Kingdom. Currently, Brandon serves as a postdoctoral researcher Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, studying the impact on fishes from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Clay Tucker

Dendroclimatologist

LSU graduate student and researcher Clay Tucker is translating the hidden stories trees can tell us about earth’s past to ultimately help us better understand how our ecological future may unfold. As a PhD student in Geography at LSU, Clay’s primary research focus is dendrotempestology: the study of how hurricanes affect tree growth. He uses pine and cypress tree growth rings to illuminate how hurricane storm surge impacts tree growth, telling the narratives of environments in the past while also leveraging the data to illuminate the possible futures of the planet. In addition to his dissertation research, the proud seventh-generation Baton Rougean works as a graduate research scholar with Louisiana Sea Grant. Science outreach is also an important element of his work. Clay teaches K-12 students about tree-ring science and assists in environmental workshops that introduce college students from around the southern U.S. to some of Louisiana’s most important environmental issues.

Emma Schachner

Evolutionary Biologist and Paleontologist

Evolutionary biologist and paleontologist Emma Schachner’s research is investigating how the specialized dinosaur lung may have helped the ancient creatures dominate the planet and thrive for millions of years in a low-oxygen environment. An Assistant Professor at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, Schachner studies the anatomy of the respiratory system of reptiles and birds, and how they have evolved over time. She is also an accomplished artist, and her detailed scientific illustrations have been published in a number of scientific journals and major media outlets. Emma was previously part of a research team from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History that discovered and named a 66-million-year-old bird-like, 500-pound dinosaur species, Anzu wyliei, which the researchers nicknamed the “chicken from hell.”

Hayley Johnson

Librarian

LSU librarians Hayley Johnson and Sarah Simms are unearthing historical documents to illuminate long-forgotten but important stories of Louisiana’s past. At LSU libraries, Hayley is the Head of Government Documents and Microforms, while Sarah works as the Undergraduate and Student Success Librarian. Together they have been uncovering the powerful narratives of Japanese-Americans who were incarcerated in Louisiana internment camps during World War II. The close friends have worked on numerous projects together, including an exhibit at Nicholls State University on the 100 years between the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington. They have also partnered with the Historic New Orleans Collection for their traveling exhibition, Purchased Lives, dedicated to the history of the domestic slave trade that emanated from New Orleans. The librarians’ collective skill and dedication is helping to shine a light on important narratives of Louisiana’s history.

Juan Martinez

Pathobiologist

Juan Martinez cares about bacteria, laying the scientific groundwork to tackle the persistent problem of bacteria that cause diseases that are unable to be treated with traditional medications. As part of the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Juan’s lab is focused on finding alternatives to antibiotics to combat certain classes of disease-causing bacteria. Born and raised in Chicago’s predominantly Mexican immigrant neighborhood La Villita, Juan’s fascination with the inner workings of things drew him to the field of science. Juan earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and spent four years as a post-doctoral research scholar at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. His work has covered a wide range of biomedical research, including an investigation of tick-borne diseases funded by the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

LadyBEAST

Circus Artist

New Orleans-based circus artist LadyBEAST got her start in Louisiana breathing fire and performing other pyrotechnics tricks on the city’s colorful Frenchmen Street. Today she specializes in Houdini-esque illusions, aerial displays (she is the first woman to perform an escape from a strait jacket dangling below a hot air balloon) and bottle walking. A native of Philadelphia, LadyBEAST trained as a track and field athlete and set her sights on the Olympics before discovering the circus. In addition to her own performances, LadyBEAST also produces circus productions and immersive circus theater in Louisiana and across the country. Among the productions are Levity, a national touring show, Vaude d’Gras, an experimental spectacle combining vaudeville and circus arts, and Spectaculaire — A Vaudeville Variety Show, at the Le Petit Theatre in the New Orleans French Quarter.

Lori Latrice Martin

Sociologist

For LSU African and African American Studies and sociology professor and author Lori Latrice Martin sports are about more than entertainment, especially from the perspective of student-athletes. But these sometimes painful challenges for student-athletes are often hidden from fans who see only the competition on the field of play. A former collegiate athlete herself, Lori uses the lens of sports to study important issues of race, education and class, revealing the ways in which race and sports are related historically and in contemporary times. Lori has published numerous books on race, education and athletics, and is a leading voice on racial disparities in athletic programs and the ongoing debate over the compensation of student-athletes. In 2019 her book, Black Women as Leaders: Challenging and Transforming Society, was released.

Nalo Zidan

Artist, Activist and Writer

Nalo Zidan is a Queer Black artist, activist and writer highlighting the nuanced lived experiences of masculine-identified women and nonbinary people. The independent Black Masculinities Womanist scholar is the Founder and Creative Director of Blackgirlmasculine, a nonprofit organization and media space documenting the ideas, issues and artistic contributions of Queer, Black masculine-identified women and non-binary people. Founded in 2016, the organization serves a global audience with a mission to expand and archive non-normative masculine identities. Born in Maryland and raised between New York and Washington D.C., Nalo moved to Baton Rouge in 2014 to experience life in the Deep South. She is completing a degree in Women, Gender and Sexuality studies at LSU, with plans to pursue a PhD. Nalo has dedicated her life to starting conversations that shift how we see the world and everyone in it, while helping Queer Black women feel seen, heard and healed along the way.

Reagan Errera

Research Ecologist

In research ecologist Reagan Errera’s opinion, phytoplankton, the microscopic algae and other organisms floating in unfathomable numbers throughout the world’s oceans, don’t get the proper respect they deserve. In reality, these tiny single-celled life forms are just as important as trees, cleaning the air we breathe and impacting the global climate in profound ways. A native of Florida, Reagan developed a fascination for algae blooms as an undergraduate studying abroad at the University of Queensland in Australia. She continued her passion for ocean science at Texas A&M, earning a master’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and her PhD in Oceanography. Today she is a research ecologist with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, researching phytoplankton ecology with a special focus on global climate change and harmful algal species that produce a variety of toxins.

Rolanda Wilkerson

Organic Chemist

Organic chemist and science communicator Rolanda Wilkerson is helping women of African ancestry embrace and care for their natural hair through the development of better beauty products rooted in science. As a Principal Scientist and Senior Manager of Scientific Communications in Beauty Care at Procter & Gamble, Rolanda has been a part of scientific work that has helped improve the formulations for numerous popular hair care products. Born and raised in Baker, Louisiana, she would do hair and experiment with makeup on her dolls and friends. Her hobby, combined with an early interest in science, evolved into a career as she studied chemistry at Southern University and earned a PhD in Organic Chemistry from LSU. Now residing in the Cincinnati area, she regularly gives talks around the nation to expose young girls to STEM opportunities while encouraging them to achieve their personal best and break out beyond the limits placed on them by society.

Sara Reardon

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

Sara Reardon wants to revolutionize the way we approach women’s health, with a radical honesty and open discussion of often-taboo topics. The board-certified women's health physical therapist and doctor of physical therapy started her career in pelvic health in Austin and Dallas before returning to her hometown of New Orleans in 2017. Today she is the owner of NOLA Pelvic Health, a private practice providing pelvic health physical therapy. Sara specializes in the treatment of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, including pelvic pain, bowel and bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, and pregnancy and postpartum recovery. She is also the founder of an online resource for pelvic health education that provides telehealth sessions to support, empower and educate women worldwide. Her open and occasionally blunt discussions of rarely discussed women’s health issues have gained her a substantial international following while serving to shine a light on important, and issues of wellness.

Sarah Simms

Librarian

LSU librarians Hayley Johnson and Sarah Simms are unearthing historical documents to illuminate long-forgotten but important stories of Louisiana’s past. At LSU libraries, Hayley is the Head of Government Documents and Microforms, while Sarah works as the Undergraduate and Student Success Librarian. Together they have been uncovering the powerful narratives of Japanese-Americans who were incarcerated in Louisiana internment camps during World War II. The close friends have worked on numerous projects together, including an exhibit at Nicholls State University on the 100 years between the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington. They have also partnered with the Historic New Orleans Collection for their traveling exhibition, Purchased Lives, dedicated to the history of the domestic slave trade that emanated from New Orleans. The librarians’ collective skill and dedication is helping to shine a light on important narratives of Louisiana’s history.