TEDxMissouri S&T

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TEDxMissouri S&T

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TEDxMissouriS&T is a locally organized, independent event that brings people together to share a TED-

10/15/2026

We're getting closer to Wednesday, October 28!

Here is another one of our amazing speakers:

📖James Zboran is an author and independent thinker who studies how the mental models we use shape the choices we make and the opportunities we recognize.

🧠As founder of the Applied Philosophy of Human Systems (APHS), an interdisciplinary framework for understanding how people think, decide, and change, he develops practical models that draw on systems thinking, complexity science, and philosophy.

🎤His TEDx talk "Three Hidden Traps that Shrink What's Possible" introduces a more accurate model for understanding time, possibility, and decision-making, revealing three hidden perceptual traps that quietly limit the choices we make, the actions we take, and how we can consciously expand both.

Come hear from James and our other speakers on October 28! Tickets still available: https://www.tedxmst.com/

10/13/2026

Our event is getting closer! We still have amazing speakers for you to meet!

💻🧠Lakshmi Yeragudipati is an IT Professional, Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, and wellness advocate who explores how modern life can better support mental clarity and restoration.

🫂Trained in Computer Science and grounded in years of work in meditation, breathwork, and community well-being, she bridges structured thinking with human-centered healing.

⚒A Missouri S&T alum, Lakshmi is passionate about reimagining the everyday environments we move through - so that pause, cognitive reset, and resilience are supported by design, not left to willpower alone.

Come hear Lakshmi's talk "The Missing Space in Our Overstimulated Lives" on Wednesday, October 28! https://www.tedxmst.com/

10/08/2026

📣Time to meet another one of our fantastic speakers!

💻Clair Parsons is an Information Science and Technology student at Missouri S&T specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity.

🚗She recently completed a supply chain analyst internship at O’Reilly Auto Parts and has served as a Senior Student Engagement Officer.

💲Clair assisted in managing the Student Engagement team, helping lead Missouri S&T’s first ever inaugural Giving Days campaign raising nearly $200,000 for the university.

📊Drawing from her experience in analytics, leadership, and AI, Clair's talk "You Are Not Just the User. You Are the Data" explores how data shapes decision-making and challenges audiences to think critically about the algorithms influencing modern life.

🔴Come join us for a night of thought-provoking entertainment on Wednesday, October 28! https://www.tedxmst.com/

10/06/2026

Next on our speaker spotlight is another one of Missouri S&T's own...Dr. John Harris!

⚒Dr. John Harris is Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Missouri University of Science and Technology, with more than three decades of higher education experience as a faculty member, department chair, dean, and now provost.

💻A graduate of MIT and Caltech, he built a research career in brain-inspired computation, mentoring 36 Ph.D. graduates and publishing more than 200 scholarly papers. His research places him among the world's top 2% most-cited scientists for career-long impact.

♟️He is also an avid chess player who learned early on that the best move is often the hardest to see.

🎟Make sure you get your tickets to hear his talk "When Ambiguity Finds You" on Wednesday, October 28! https://www.tedxmst.com/

10/02/2026

It's October! Let's kick off this month by introducing another one of our remarkable speakers!

🔋Gary W. Hines is President of Switch Energy Alliance, a nonprofit advancing sensible and objective energy education for everyone, everywhere.

👷A Civil Engineering alumnus of Missouri S&T and a credentialed Professional Engineer and Certified Association Executive, Gary has spent more than 25 years working with energy systems - from pipeline operations at Williams Companies and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline to workforce development at the Southern Gas Association and global research investment at the Pipeline Research Council International.

🎤His talk, "Energy Without an Agenda" makes the case that understanding energy - its tradeoffs, its terminology, its scale - is the foundation everyone needs before opinions can do any useful work.

Come join us Wednesday, October 28! Tickets and lineup: https://www.tedxmst.com/

09/17/2026

Next highlight, from our fabulous set of speakers is...Cassandra Boland!

Cassandra L. Boland is a technology leader, communicator, and creative with more than 12 years of experience leading enterprise transformation, IT modernization, and AI adoption.

💻She currently serves as Senior Instructional Designer for Cushman & Wakefield in St. Louis, Missouri, and has led high-impact initiatives for organizations including Mastercard, BMC Software, and Central Bank.

📝A former university instructor with graduate training in professional and technical writing, Cassandra is known for translating complex technology into clear, human-centered solutions.

🗣In her TEDx talk, she challenges the belief that technology careers belong only to coders and engineers, showing how communication, creativity, curiosity, and storytelling can become the greatest competitive advantage in an increasingly technical world.

🗓Mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 28 to hear Cassandra's talk "From Technical Stage Fright to Technical Performance"! 🎭 Tickets available: https://www.tedxmst.com/

09/14/2026

Get ready to learn about our next highlighted speaker...Madison Adams!

🚧Madison is a junior studying Civil Engineering at Missouri S&T and currently works as a Roadway Design Intern at Volkert.

⛏She took a nontraditional path to engineering, spending several gap years after high school working in nonprofit organizations and in blockchain technology before ultimately finding her way to S&T.

On campus, Madison is actively involved in several student organizations, including:

✈️Design Lead for the Engineers Without Borders Bolivia team
👷‍♀️American Society of Civil Engineers
🎲S&T Gaming Association

Join us on Wednesday, October 28 to hear her talk "Want to Change the World? Choose Engineering"!

Purchase tickets and find additional information here: https://www.tedxmst.com/

09/10/2026

Our next speaker spotlight is...Meegan Kriley-Mackay!

Meegan a subject matter expert in Human Intelligence (HI) with more than 30 years of experience spanning the U.S. Department of Defense, leadership development, education, crisis response, and organizational consulting.

🧠💡A former Human Intelligence Specialist and interrogator, she integrates neuroscience, psychology, communication, and real-world practice to explore how conditions that promote curiosity shape the way people think, learn, and lead.

📖As the founder of the Human Intelligence (HI) framework and creator of the 5 WHYs of Soft Interrogation (5YSI)TM, Meegan’s book, "Leadership in the Age of AI: Rebooting Human Intelligence (HI)" challenges conventional assumptions about intelligence, revealing that it is not hardwired but continually developed through the environments, relationships, and conversations that shape our lives.

Get your tickets now to hear Meegan's talk, "What Interrogation Taught Me About Human Intelligence (HI)"! https://www.tedxmst.com/

09/08/2026

We hope everyone had a fantastic and safe holiday weekend!

📣📣Let's get our short week started by introducing another one of our amazing TEDx speakers, Ed Koharik!

Ed Koharik is a nonprofit product management leader, founder of Stargazer Innovations, and an adjunct faculty member at Missouri S&T for the Masters in Economics and Innovation program.

💡His mission and TEDx talk are focused on how everyone can innovate, and how innovations large and small can create value in ways that cannot be calculated in terms of revenue.

🎓⛏He is a 2019 graduate of Missouri S&T (Economics) and holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

As a 2019 speaker, Ed is excited to return to TEDx Missouri S&T with his talk "Innovation for Everyone".

Get your tickets now for this incredible event! https://www.tedxmst.com/

09/03/2026

As we get closer to the big day (Wednesday, October 28!) we wanted to start highlighting our fantastic speaker line up!

We're starting with...Debra Bourdeau!

Dr. Debra Bourdeau is the Vice Provost for Online Learning and Educational Innovation at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

With roots in literary studies and a career spent working alongside scientists, engineers, and educators, she has become a leading voice for Humanistic STEM (H-STEM)—the idea that the humanities are not a rival of STEM, but an equal partner in understanding and solving the world's most pressing problems.

Through her research, teaching, and leadership, she explores how bringing together multiple ways of knowing can:
🎇Spark innovation
🧠Deepen understanding
📡Help us navigate an increasingly complex future

Join us as Dr. Bourdeau discusses "The Power of Thinking in Stereo"! 📣

Tickets available now: https://www.tedxmst.com/

Address

151 Kummer Student Design Center, 1051 N. Bishop Avenue
Rolla, MO
65409

Website

http://www.tedxmst.com/

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