Twelve speakers will present their ideas at Missouri University of Science and Technology’s TEDx talk Wednesday, Oct. 29. This year’s theme is “Redefine. Redesign. Rediscover.” 

The talks will take place in Leach Theatre of Castleman Hall, located at 400 W. 10th St. in Rolla. Doors will open at 5 p.m. for a reception with complimentary refreshments; the talks will begin at 6 p.m. Speaker topics will include health care, aging, AI and more. 

This year’s speakers and their presentation titles include: 

• Sarah Beetner, “Clean Up on Aisle Confusion.” Beetner is a senior in secondary biology education at Missouri S&T and teaches anatomy and field ecology at Blue Valley High School. 

• Angela Bo, “Romanticizing Life: Finding the Small Joys.” Bo is a high school junior.  

• Alex Elsayegh, “How to be as fluent as AI.” Elsayegh is an innovation engineer at McCarthy Holdings Inc., and holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Missouri S&T.  

• Paige Marsolais-Heitman, “Health Care Is a Conversation — Start Talking.” Marsolais-Heitman is the director of philanthropy at Phelps Health.  

• Kimberly Johnson-Hatchett, “Activate Your Default Mode Network: The Key to Aging Powerfully.” Johnson-Hatchett is chief medical officer at a veterans’ hospital, a board-certified neurologist and hospital administrator. 

• Betty Rhoades, “The Unexpected Career Lessons from Winemaking.” Rhoades is a professional speaker, coach and certified sommelier who leads cellar operations and community engagement at San Francisco Wine School.  

• Chris Ruth, “The Triple Impact of Building Automation: Comfort, Energy and Indoor Air Quality.” Ruth is the mid-Missouri controls manager at Integrated Facility Services. 

• Daniel B. Shank, “The Harm of AI Romance.”  Shank is an associate professor of psychological science at Missouri S&T, where he specializes in research on social interactions with and psychological perceptions of artificial intelligence. 

• Alyece Smith, “Redesigning Success for the Neurodivergent Mind.” Smith is a certified master coach, social media marketing expert and branding strategist, and is the founder of Socially Ausome and Caiden’s Corner.  

• Simoriah Stogner, “One Size Does Not Fit All.” Stogner is the founder of Simulating Mindsets, and has worked in cybersecurity and IT infrastructure.  

• Derek Zboran, “Innovation Begins with Imperfection.” Zboran is a student well-being training and outreach coordinator at Missouri S&T.  

• Will Zwikelmaier, “Notes Without Feeling.” Zwikelmaier is the executive director of corporate and foundation relations at Missouri S&T.  

Tickets are $15 for the public and $10 for Missouri S&T students and can be purchased online at tedxmst.com. 

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading” that shares media and supports educational initiatives. All presentations are recorded and shared though TEDx media. 

For more information about the event and videos of past TEDx events, please visit tedxmst.com. 

About Missouri University of Science and Technology 

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.