TEDxUGA 2017: Ideas Worth Spreading

Franklin's Jessica Luton attended the recent TEDxUGA event and shares the story:

This past Friday, the Athens and UGA community had an opportunity to listen to some “ideas worth spreading” via the local TED Talk affiliated program known as TEDxUGA. The event, which began in 2013, drew its biggest crowd ever, with over 1000 people in attendance. The growth of this event can be attributed to dynamic organizers and presenters year after year, as well the decision to hold the event in it’s biggest venue yet--the Classic Center.

The afternoon consisted of presenters giving talks on everything from how millennials are changing the traditional 9-5 job through the gig economy to the power in fear in controlling our outlook on the world. This year, four Franklin family members--faculty, students and alumni-- were part of this group that took to the stage to share their ideas and inspire the audience to think outside of the box. Here’s what our robust group of Franklin faculty and students shared with this year’s audience: 

Session 1:

Valerie Babb: Valerie Babb is Franklin Professor of English and director of the Institute for African American Studies. As a scholar of African American literature and culture, Dr. Babb examines how narratives of fear are threatening American ideals.

Session 2:

W. Keith Campbell: Keith Campbell is head of department of psychology. A leading scholar on narcissism, Dr. Campbell has devoted more than 20 years to studying narcissism and has authored more than 150 publications. His talk addresses the complex implications of narcissism and how we can harness its power.

Shaunak Godkhindi: Shaunak Godkhindi is an undergraduate student in the Franklin College studying Communications and New Media. Shaunak runs two local comedy shows, Open Toad and The Good Stuff. Although he performs standup five nights a week in Athens and Atlanta, Shaunak makes history as the first comedian to take the TEDxUGA stage.

Session 3:

Lee Pierce: Having earned her PhD in communication studies from UGA, Dr. Lee Pierce currently teaches undergraduate courses in rhetoric and communication. As a scholar of rhetoric and a critic of culture, she shares with the audience that when it comes to modern media--there’s much more than meets the eye.  

Each session is about an hour long and offers the audience many more ideas worth contemplating. Do yourself a favor and watch the livestream videos that were recorded and archived at the event. You’ll come away pondering the everyday and inspired.

Session 1: Currently unavailable.

Session 2: https://www.facebook.com/newmediainstitute/videos/10154213146526207/

Session 3: https://www.facebook.com/newmediainstitute/videos/10154213323361207/