Theme: Dissonance

Dissonance involves a clash—of musical notes, of ideas, of beliefs. Sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes ugly, sometimes simply unpleasant. But, those who listen closely may find value and true beauty in dissonance: the cacophony of two notes juxtaposed with the harmony that follows, two unlike ideas which force us to question our established beliefs. TEDxPurdueU invites you to join us at our virtual event, “Dissonance,” and discover the ways in which dissonance enriches our lives and challenges us.

purdue university
610 Purdue Mall
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, 47907
United States

Adam Metzger

Member of AJR, Executive Director of Sustainable Partners, & appointed UN Development Advocate

As a member of AJR, Adam Met has traveled the world on sold-out tours, achieved platinum certifications in numerous countries, and recorded a repertoire of music which has garnered over 2 billion streams worldwide. A graduate of Columbia University and New York University, he is currently pursuing his PhD in International Human Rights Law and Sustainable Development. Adam’s appointment as a Sustainable Development Advocate with the UN Development Programme fosters global awareness and action. Speaking at conferences, on television and beyond, Adam developed a unique perspective, intersecting music, marketing, technology, academia, policy, and government. He has written on these topics for Billboard, Fortune, Mashable, and more, and is the host of the podcast Planet Reimagined. Adam is the Executive Director of Sustainable Partners Inc (SPI), an interdisciplinary nonprofit that creates engagement around sustainability through media, research, and incentive-based initiatives.

Carolin Frueh

Professor at Purdue School of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Carolin Frueh (pronounced "free") got her PhD in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Bern, Switzerland, in 2011. For two years, she was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, before joining Texas A&M's Aerospace Department. In 2014, she joined the faculty at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. Besides her Ph.D. degree, Carolin Frueh has completed graduate coursework in Philosophy and Theology.

Feleceia Benton

CEO and Co-Principal, Zoe Communications Agency

Feleceia Wilson is an award-winning performer, speaker and entrepreneur who is passionate about community. She is the CEO and Co-Principal of the Zoe Communications Agency, a full-service strategic communications and marketing firm, named after her daughter Zoe who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Her daughter is the catalyst for the creative and strategic touch #TeamZoeComm has added to municipalities, independent school districts, non-profit organizations and more, throughout the United States. Feleceia has traveled the world as a performer. In addition, her nearly 20-year career as a singer/actress has garnered the attention of stages nationally and locally. She has built arts programs for schools and studios across her hometown of Dallas, Texas through her work as a director, choreographer and performer. Feleceia Wilson is a graduate of Texas Christian University with degrees in Advertising/Public Relations and Theatre.

Frankie Wilson

Speaker/Entrepreneur/Behavior Professional

Frankie C. Wilson Jr. is an award-winning syndicated radio show host, speaker, entrepreneur and behavior psychology professional from Dallas, Texas. In addition to speaking professionally across the USA and internationally, he works on the executive board for several media and content companies. He has been nominated as Philanthropist of the Year in the City of Dallas (hometown), for his efforts with the Giving Project 501c3. Mr. Wilson currently works as a behavior professional and student via the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and an Applied Behavior Analysis clinic in Dallas, Texas. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Inc. and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Frankie has a Bachelor’s in Mass Media Communications, an MBA in Executive Management and Finance and a Masters in Divinity.

Mathieu Hocine

Electric Pop Musical Artist

Mathieu Hocine, also known by his artist name Kid Francescoli, is a French electro-pop musician from Marseille that seamlessly integrates multicultural influences to create music that puts people “in a good mood.” Hocine’s work has been classified anywhere from electronic/dance to alternative/indie, and he has collaborated with numerous international artists. His third and fourth albums With Julia and Play Me Again, respectively, portray the evolution of a relationship-turned-creative friendship with a fellow artist, and feature international successes “Blow Up” and the TikTok-famous “Moon (And It Went Like),” among many other relatable tracks. Hocine’s latest album, Lovers, surrounds listeners in an ethereal atmosphere inspired by the Mediterranean and romantic longings.

Siya Goel

Independent High School Researcher

Siya Goel is a high school junior from West Lafayette Jr. Sr. High School and has conducted cellular and molecular biology, bioinformatics, and computer science research at Purdue University and the University of Michigan for three years. In this talk, Siya will be discussing how she developed an accessible, accurate and affordable diagnostic tool for pancreatic cancer. This is the first tool in literature that achieves a pancreatic cancer diagnostic accuracy of above 90%, having the potential to significantly improve the detection of pancreatic cancer and increase the five-year survival rate from 8%. She has earned many achievements from her research, most notably being an International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2019 and 2020 finalist, a 2020 Silver Award Winner in the North American Insposcience Fair, and first place winner at the annual Sigma Xi Meeting.

Sorin Matei

Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education at Purdue College of Liberal Arts

A social scientist, communicator, and academic administration, Dr. Matei thrives on turning ideas into practical tools. He is the author of several books and tens of papers on social media and digital communication and has created online tools for learning digital media analytics and storytelling. He is the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education in the College of Liberal Arts and a Professor of Communication at Purdue University. A former journalist, he worked in Radio for Radio Free Europe, BBC World Service, and several Romanian newspapers.