Theme: FORGE

Student Involvement and Leadership is hosting TEDxUAB - FORGE.
FORGE stands for Facilitating Open Rhetoric Geared toward Engagement and is an event established to stimulate conversation and new ideas.
As the name “FORGE” comes from, we aspire to breakdown and rework ideas in order to create the “iron”, or revolutionary ideas of tomorrow.
Just as iron is the foundation is the key ingredient in tools, surgical equipment, and infrastructure, we hope that this open rhetoric will be the foundation for idea growth and topic discussion.

Hill Student Center - Alumni Theater
1400 University Blvd
Birmingham, Alabama, 35294
United States

Dino Martinez

Career Consultant and Assistant Director

Currently serving as an Assistant Director of the UAB Career Center, Dino Martinez has a combined total of 35 years serving, advising, and coaching on college campuses. He has developed, presented, and facilitated many leadership classes, workshops, and retreats. Dino’s teaching experience includes three years as a UNIV 101 instructor at Northern Illinois University, a graduate course in the higher education program at Wright State University and a leadership course at Eastern Illinois University. He currently serves as one of the instructors for the UAB Career Center’s UNIV 200: Job Search Essentials and UNIV 300: Career Mapping courses. Dino created and designed the MMI Bootcamp, a mock interview simulation workshop preparing interested students in the multiple-miniature interview (MMI) format. The MMI interview format is used by a growing number of medical and other professional school admissions programs.

Jeralyn Langford

Student

Jeralyn Langford is a Junior majoring in Public Health on a Pre-Med track as she aspires to be an OB-GYN. Not only is she a student, but she is a poet who seeks to empower the next generation of leaders and initiate societal change through her spoken word. In her three years at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Jeralyn has served her UAB community through various platforms which include Voices of UAB, being a Resident Assistant, a McNair Scholar and a member of the Leadership and Service Council. As Jeralyn continues her journey through life she aims to be the proof that mountains can be moved—not because she went around them, but because she endured the climb.

Ryan Roque

Student

Ryan Roque is a Biology major at UAB on a mission to do great things in the Birmingham Community. Whether it be in the healthcare field, or sprinkled acts of chivalry, Ryan displays what it means to be a Blazer on a daily basis. Ryan is a volunteer at Impact Family Counseling, and highly involved within the community. Ryan holds many positions around campus including the UAB Ambassador Program and the Trailblazer program, each of which enables the university to have a hand in improvement of the city of Birmingham through the empowerment of students, and its residents.

Saloni Merchant

Student Speaker

Saloni Merchant is a freshman at UAB studying Business Management and Economics with a minor in International Business. In 2018, she was awarded the Teenage Volunteer of the Year award from East Alabama Medical Center. She is currently the reigning USA National Miss Alabama 2019. Her personal platform is the Aga Khan Foundation, where they raise money to help eliminate poverty in developing countries. She regularly volunteers with special needs students all over the state of Alabama. She has always had people ask her what makes her so happy, and her answer is always “bringing a smile on other peoples faces.”

Tyler Goodwin

Student

Tyler Goodwin, from Bessemer, Alabama, is a senior double majoring in political science and human rights law & economics. Human rights has been the core focus of his research, specifically LGBTQ+ rights, gun violence, and climate change. After graduation, Tyler is planning to attend American University to study foreign policy. On November 8, 2018, we the people elected the 116th Congress of the United States. Described as being hit by a “Rainbow Wave”, this Congress is the most diverse and representative the country has ever seen, even for the LGBTQ+. What does this mean for the queer community? By looking at qualitative and anecdotal data, he explores how bringing openly-LGBTQ+ folk to the table of American Government brings us closer to a more perfect union..