TEDx Talk lecture series comes to Ole Miss’ Ford Center in Oxford

Published 1:00 pm Friday, January 27, 2017

TEDx Talks are a global lecture series that are known for illuminating speakers who present specialized speeches about topics in their respective fields, and this Saturday, Oxford is getting one of its own.

From 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Ford Center, eight speakers, including current Ole Miss faculty, alumni and one Oxford based filmmaker will be taking the stage to talk about subjects that are close to their hearts.

This is the second TED event that the university will be hosting, following its first one in October 2015. Marvin King, a university professor and TED co-organizer, says that the event is a great way to start the spring semester on campus. The event was also assembled by five members on a student committee.

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“We wanted to kick it off with a bang,” he said. “I think we have a pretty interesting lineup of speakers.”

Those speakers include personalities from a wide array of backgrounds and studies-from the sciences to the fine arts.

UM alum Josh Mabus will start off the afternoon by talking about the difference between quitting and failing and how that in turn affects how we judge ourselves. Other speakers during the event include Oxonian documentarian Shannon Cohn, who made a film about endometriosis, a rarely discussed disease that affects millions of women, and professor Dr. Anne Quinney who will talk about publisher and editor-induced censorship in works of literature.

Closing out the proceedings is university faculty member Rory Ledbetter who will discuss how we can control our breathing for better conversations and relationships.

Matthew R. Wilson, an assistant professor in theater who also spoke at the last TED Talk, will be hosting the event throughout the day.

King says that the university hopes to make TED an annual event each January.

“There are a lot of folks in the community who are interested in the research at Ole Miss, but there’s not necessarily an easy way for them to access it if they’re not students or faculty,” he added. “This is a chance of showcasing, not only what Ole Miss faculty are doing, but also the community and our alums. We want to make it about the university, but also Oxford and North Mississippi.”

Tickets for the event are $30 for non-students and $15 for students and faculty.