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The free, public TEDxUofL 2015: Interconnected conference aims to dispel “the idea that we all live in a vacuum,” said conference director and UofL graduate student Stacey Reason.

The 9 a.m.-noon event will feature discussions about sustainability, discovery and dynamism through “TED-style” brief, powerful talks; the format is modeled on conferences that began in 1984 with one that tied in technology, entertainment and design (TED).

            Participants in Davidson Hall can attend the talk simulcasts, join in activities, enjoy refreshments and participate in a “conversation café” with some speakers afterward to extend the discussion. Although the event is free, participants must register for sessions by Feb. 21 at . (Tickets to the talks in Rauch Planetarium already have been reserved, but the Davidson Hall venue offers more activities.)

            Topics include environmental sustainability, philanthropy, animal social networks, acoustic addiction, civic technology and engagement, makerspaces and artists as creative community catalysts.

            The 12 speakers include Louisville community representatives, artists and UofL faculty, staff and students. They include Christen Boone, chief executive officer, Fund for the Arts; Patti Clare, deputy director of advancement planning, Louisville Forward; Pat Smith, founding member, Civic Data Alliance/Code for America; Theo Edmonds, co-founder, IDEAS 40203; Ben Self, AmeriCorps VISTA member, Center for Nonprofit Excellence; the Rev. Paul Herrington, former clinical chaplain; and artists Andrew Cozzens and Valerie Fuchs. From UofL, speakers will be Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives; philosophy professor Dismas Masolo; biology doctoral student Matt Hasenjager and engineering student Caleb Sheehan. 

            “I think everyone has taken a really big stake in it – that they can facilitate this bigger thinking in the community,” said Reason, who also attended the 2012 TED talks at UofL. 

              For more information, check or contact Reason at TEDxUofL@gmail.com