Stony Brook University to Host TEDx Conference

Stony Brook University will hosts a TEDx conference in October, the school announced on Friday, giving the college a change to show off its best thinkers on a global stage.

The daylong TEDx conference, dubbed "TEDxSBU: Our Beat," is set for Oct. 10 beginning at 9:15 a.m. at the Wang Center.

"There is a natural synergy between TED's mission of 'ideas worth spreading' and what we do here at SBU every day. ... We're confident that we'll be able to contribute to the intellectual capital that TED represents globally and that our community will embrace the learning opportunities," Chuck Powell, assistant provost for teaching, learning and technology, said in a letter to the campus community.

TED, which stands for "technology, entertainment and design," is a nonprofit organization founded in 1984. During a TEDx event, speakers and performers have 18 minutes to share their message with the audience, the size of which is limited to 100.

While ticket applications – available here – are only accepted through Monday, the conference will be live-streamed here and will be broadcast by the campus radio station, WUSB 90.1 FM. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for students.

Nancy Franklin, an associate professor of psychology and researcher who studies memories and the influence of emotions on one's psyche, will serve as master of ceremonies. Other presenters will include Howard Schneider, former Newsday editor and School of Journalism dean; MFA graduate program director Nobuho Nagasawa, an artist whose work explores topics such as politics, ecology and psychology; and Ruchi Shah, a sophomore biology major who researches mosquito-borne illnesses and who recently became the youngest-ever speaker at the Forbes Women's Summit.