April 2 conference puts a clock on Duke faculty to wow audience on their favorite topics
TEDx Ideas Worth Spreading
by Susan Kauffman
Durham, NC -- Sam Wells, Dean of Duke Chapel, regularly delivers compelling Sunday sermons from the pulpit. On April 2, he's been given free rein to speak on a topic of his choice, with the caveat that it cannot exceed 12 minutes.
Wells is participating in "Just Imagine," a university-wide Tedx conference in the Bryan Center's Griffith Theater. It features selected Duke students and some professorial stars including Mark Anthony Neal, an expert in African-American culture, and behavioral economist Dan Ariely.
TEDx is a college version of the popular TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) international conferences started by the nonprofit Sapling Foundation to disseminate "ideas worth spreading."
"The thing about TED is that it brings people from so many disciplines and backgrounds together," said Chelsea Ursaner, the junior who started Duke's "Just Imagine" TEDx. "It's really about the attendees. We're going encourage people to mingle as much as possible. You discover things you didn't think you were interested in."
The public and the larger Duke community are invited to the conference, which will also include some musical performances and a step show. Each segment will be streamed live. Not only are the talks a bit shorter than the TED conference - cut from 18 down to 12 minutes -- but the day is as well, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. "The shorter length of the talks appeals to a large audience, even if you might not read a book on quantum mechanics or take a class in it," Ursaner said.
Ursaner, president of the Public Policy Majors Union, applied for a TEDx license after hearing about the program last year. "I knew this was going to catch on," she said. "It's important for Duke to do this because Duke is a leader that has so much talent to showcase. It will be a unifying event across the entire campus."
She then recruited other students to create a new student group, replete with adviser Mike Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations. Half of the $20,000 budget will come from the Office of Student Activities and Facilities. Organizers kept travel costs down by inviting local speakers.
Matt Nash, executive director of Duke's Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE), said the TEDx format works well in university settings. CASE hosted a national TEDx conference on social entrepreneurship education in February. The Ashoka U Exchange included prominent social entrepreneurs and innovative educators from around the world and attracted more than 300 people from more than 75 universities.
Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education, said he hoped Ursaner's TEDx would become an annual event. "Showcasing some of the interesting ideas of our faculty and students in this format is a great idea," Nowicki said. "Universities are all about building intellectual communities and TED talks bring people together in creative ways both online and in person."
© 2011 Office of News & Communications
TEDx Ideas Worth Spreading
by Susan Kauffman
Durham, NC -- Sam Wells, Dean of Duke Chapel, regularly delivers compelling Sunday sermons from the pulpit. On April 2, he's been given free rein to speak on a topic of his choice, with the caveat that it cannot exceed 12 minutes.
Wells is participating in "Just Imagine," a university-wide Tedx conference in the Bryan Center's Griffith Theater. It features selected Duke students and some professorial stars including Mark Anthony Neal, an expert in African-American culture, and behavioral economist Dan Ariely.
TEDx is a college version of the popular TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) international conferences started by the nonprofit Sapling Foundation to disseminate "ideas worth spreading."
"The thing about TED is that it brings people from so many disciplines and backgrounds together," said Chelsea Ursaner, the junior who started Duke's "Just Imagine" TEDx. "It's really about the attendees. We're going encourage people to mingle as much as possible. You discover things you didn't think you were interested in."
The public and the larger Duke community are invited to the conference, which will also include some musical performances and a step show. Each segment will be streamed live. Not only are the talks a bit shorter than the TED conference - cut from 18 down to 12 minutes -- but the day is as well, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. "The shorter length of the talks appeals to a large audience, even if you might not read a book on quantum mechanics or take a class in it," Ursaner said.
Ursaner, president of the Public Policy Majors Union, applied for a TEDx license after hearing about the program last year. "I knew this was going to catch on," she said. "It's important for Duke to do this because Duke is a leader that has so much talent to showcase. It will be a unifying event across the entire campus."
She then recruited other students to create a new student group, replete with adviser Mike Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations. Half of the $20,000 budget will come from the Office of Student Activities and Facilities. Organizers kept travel costs down by inviting local speakers.
Matt Nash, executive director of Duke's Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE), said the TEDx format works well in university settings. CASE hosted a national TEDx conference on social entrepreneurship education in February. The Ashoka U Exchange included prominent social entrepreneurs and innovative educators from around the world and attracted more than 300 people from more than 75 universities.
Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education, said he hoped Ursaner's TEDx would become an annual event. "Showcasing some of the interesting ideas of our faculty and students in this format is a great idea," Nowicki said. "Universities are all about building intellectual communities and TED talks bring people together in creative ways both online and in person."
© 2011 Office of News & Communications
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