Montana Western Announces TEDx Event Speakers and Schedule

January 22, 2024

The University of Montana Western is pleased to announce the speakers and schedule for “TEDx: University of Montana Western” to be held in the Beier Auditorium on Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on the UMW campus in Dillon, Montana.

17 speakers will present during four sessions on a wide range of topics throughout the day.

Session One:

• Rob Thomas, Ph.D.: How to Inspire a Passion for Learning
• Erik Guzik, Ph.D.: The Originality of Machines: A Discussion of the Striking Novelty of Generative AI
• Jarred Kvamme, MS: Disentangling the Genome with Artificial Intelligence
• Spruce Shoenemann, Ph.D.: What Will the Climate Be Like for Our Kids? 

Session Two:

• Marybeth Wilson PT, DPT: Why Pain is All in Your Head
• Amber Jordan: Food Fight: The Hidden Impact of Food Rules on Workplace Culture
• Diana Pallin, MD: Obesity Medicine is the Science of Hope
• Aleisha Shirley PT, DPT: Solid in the Saddle: How science can make you a better horseback rider 

Session Three:

• Kyra Wood, OTD: Montana Female Veterans: Cultural Considerations
• Dev Seacrest, Ph.D.: Building a Mathematical Community to Support All Learners
• Sophia Etier, MA: Lost Montana: The Path from Remembrance to Inclusive Heritage
• Nathan Boll, MS, MA: A Life Less Ordinary: Navigating Nontraditional Education

Session Four:

• Callie Triller & Melissa Winger: Building Your Own Village: The Story of the Early Childhood Coalition of Beaverhead County
• Katy Wright, MEd: Lowering the Case For Reading: A Sound Approach
• Nathaniel Freeman, MFA: “What’s Up with That Kid?” Trauma-Informed Pedagogy
• Yasmin Arlette Acosta-Myers, MS: A Cultural Odyssey through Intercultural Experiential Education

To view the full schedule of events and biographies for each speaker, please visit the TEDx: University of Montana Western website: https://www.umwestern.edu/tedx-umw/. 

Members of the public are invited to attend, but participation is limited to 100 audience members. Those who wish to attend must enter an audience lottery by submitting an online application no later than Wednesday, February 7, 2024. The application is available at: https://www.umwestern.edu/tedx-umw/attend/.

TEDx: University of Montana Western will provide a multidisciplinary forum for academic minds to gather and exchange ideas worth sharing. Speakers selected to present at TEDx University of Montana Western are directly connected to the local community or have topics that support Montana Western’s mission and values. The event showcases a diverse spectrum of academic perspectives while providing a venue for speakers to submit their research to the global TED network.

For more information, please contact Lead Organizer and UMW Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre, Stephen Alan Seder: [email protected] or 406-683-7038.