Theme: Aging Gracefully

TEDx Point Park University 2019 Aging Gracefully focuses on those people, places and things that have found ways to evolve in innovative and meaningful ways. Since it was first settled in 1764 as a prime transportation gateway with its three rivers, Pittsburgh has seen many faces as it has aged over the last 255 years. Embracing its manufacturing roots, green spaces and one of the highest national populations aged 65 and over, the Steel City continues to defy labels and decade-old images of a “Smoky City” with dirty, polluted rivers.

Today, Pittsburgh ranks among the Top 10 of the country’s most liveable cities (The Global Liveable City Index 2018) and recently ranked as the second safest city in the country where people can afford to live (Realtor.com 2019). Pittsburgh is a growing hub for new technology startups; provides the backdrop for Hollywood films and television series; offers top notch universities, cultural experiences, outdoor adventures; and a nationally recognized restaurant scene. As Pittsburgh continues to age, doing so gracefully and with thoughtful strategies on addressing the City’s diverse needs will be key to achieving growth.

Highmark Theater, Pittsburgh Playhouse
350 Forbes Avenue
Highmark Theater
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222
United States

Laura Poskin

Director, Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging

Laura Poskin wants to make our world a better place to grow old. As the director of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, she brings people together to build more inclusive, respectful neighborhoods for all ages. Laura is a gerontologist who started her career as a journalist in New York City, writing for national publications such as People and Good Housekeeping, while also volunteering with older adults. For nearly five years, she penned a column for AARP about intergenerational solidarity and livable communities. Laura holds a master’s degree in Population and Social Gerontology from Miami University in Ohio and Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Martha Rial

Photographer and Educator

Martha Rial first fell in love with photography as a teenager while studying images in Life and Look magazines. Her mission to tell compelling stories has taken her from the mountains of Haiti to African villages to the streets of her hometown of Pittsburgh. Martha’s photographs have received international acclaim, including a Pulitzer Prize for work documenting the lives of Burundian and Rwandan survivors of the 1994 genocide. Her most recent project is Beyond the Ceiling: Sharpsburg, a series of temporary photography murals in Sharpsburg, Pa., featuring ordinary women doing extraordinary work to lift their communities. Martha was awarded The Investing in Professional Artist grant earlier this year from The Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation to expand the project to Millvale. Martha also serves as the project manager for the McKeesport Community Newsroom, an initiative of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University.

Megan Fahey

Assistant Director of Strategic Programs College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

Megan Fahey is a creative-writer-turned-academic-administrator-turned-engineering-think-tank-operator from Wheeling, West Virginia. She holds degrees in Theatre, English, Secondary Education, Writing and Creative Writing, which have provided her with opportunities to teach a wide variety of courses for a wide variety of audiences. Her courses have ranged from sixth grade Reading and Language Arts to an interdisciplinary course combining Astrobiology and Science Fiction for honors students. In her current position as assistant director of Strategic Programs, Megan coordinates all outreach and broader impacts programming for the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Ray Werner

Writer, Baker, Music Maker

Ray Werner studied playwriting at Yale School of Drama, then became a hall of fame writer and producer in the ad business and president of his own company. He later sold it to explore, mine the moments in his life, create stories, and become a playwright. With 14 plays in 12 productions and a festival of his work this past year, he has had a decent run. Ray’s mantra is: “Nothing happens until someone gets excited.” He believes it is better to live in refinement, than in retirement. His business card reads, “Writer, baker, music maker.”

Richard Piacentini

President and CEO, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Since 1994, Richard Piacentini has led the green transformation of Phipps, including construction of the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, the only building in the world to meet the Living Building Challenge™, LEED® Platinum, WELL™ Platinum and SITES™ Platinum certifications. The sustainability efforts he initiated are based on recognizing the vital connections between people, plants, health and planet. Richard is a past board chair of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) and American Public Garden Association (APGA), serves on advisory committees for the Biophilic Design Initiative and Biophilic Cities Network, and received ILFI, APGA and US Green Building Council leadership awards.

Ron Baraff

Director of Historic Resources and Facilities, Rivers of Steel

Ron Baraff is a Pittsburgh native who has been the Director of Historic Resources and Facilities for the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, in Homestead, Pa., since 1998. He supervises the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area Archives and Museum, Interpretive and Tourism Programming, and Historic Sites, including the Carrie Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Rankin/Swissvale, the Battle of Homestead/Pump House in Munhall, the National Historic Landmark Bost Building in Homestead, and the National Historic Landmark W.A. Young and Sons Machine Shop and Foundry in Rices Landing, Pa. Ron has a specialization in Public History from Portland State University and a Master of Arts in History- Public History-Archives, Museums and Historical Editing from Duquesne University. He has worked on a variety of public history projects, including many national and international documentaries.