Our 2018 line-up included 14 thought-provoking topics from an equal number of diverse and interesting speakers.
We are honored to have had nearly 100 possible speakers to consider for this year's TEDxOshkosh, and have selected these fifteen to speak on a wide variety of ideas that are sure to inspire deep thought and ongoing discussion.
Table of Contents: This Year's Talks
(Click/tap any speaker's name to scroll down to their bio and talk details)
Sahil Badruddin - Disagreement: An Essential Part of Pluralism
Disagreement is an inevitable part of the human, condition, yet it is often conflated with conflict. Without difference and disagreement, intellectual diversity or pluralism is impossible; intellectual diversity means disagreement. In other words, if we already all agree, there is no diversity.
In other words, if we already all agree, there is no diversity. More disagreement means more intellectual diversity, more opinions, more ideas. Peace and progress, thus, can never be achieved by suppressing disagreement but instead can be achieved by embracing and respecting what they represent.
Sahil Badruddin Biography
Sahil Badruddin is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with degrees in Chemical Engineering, Religious Studies, and History. As the host of Candid Insights with Sahil Badruddin, he conducts interviews of influencers, leaders, and intellectuals for their deeper insights on contemporary issues. Some of his interview guests, among others, include Karen Armstrong, Hasan Minhaj, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Eboo Patel.
Adam BellCorelli - Smile and Give Someone Superpowers
The instant you give a smile to another person, you create a tiny, safe, compassionate community. By living intentionally and focusing outwardly, we are able to help others believe they can overcome any barrier. Our smile has emotional, psychological, physiological and spiritual resonance in the world and has the power to change lives. In moments we feel stressed and fearful or excited and joyous or bewildered and unsure, few experiences are as comforting and up-lifting as unexpectedly noticing another person and feeling connected.
Adam BellCorelli Biography
Adam BellCorelli is always smiling, and people know his laugh wherever he goes. He is an avid photographer who loves to scoot around Oshkosh with his wife and two kids, enjoying the neighborhoods, parks, and trails. A fixture at UW Oshkosh for many years, Adam finished up his Master’s in Public Administration and continues to be involved in many community boards and committees, including the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Board, Winnebago County Health reThink Leadership Team, and Fox Valley Thrives Transportation Committee.
Adam loves to help other develop their professional skills by teaching resume workshops, interview prep, and leadership development for non-profits and university programs. Adam’s past roles as an academic adviser, career adviser, department office manager, and many years of customer service, as well as his current position as Operations Catalyst with Change Management Communications Center, have honed his uniquely positive perspective on everyday barriers and how awesome everyone can be.
Jerry Benston, Jr. - What Difference Does Difference Make?
In the fall of 1968, 94 Black students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh made a conscious decision to put their college careers on the line and participate in a demonstration for social justice aimed at improving diversity and a more inclusive campus environment. That demonstration resulted in all 94 Black students being arrested, jailed and expelled from the university. Jerry Benston was one of those students.
Almost exactly 50 years later, are things better? A lot? A little? Do we have a better acceptance of diversity and inclusion? Are we more aware of unconscious bias? Where do we go from here?
Jerry Benston, Jr. Biography
Jerry’s professional career followed a social justice path, as the former Director of Diversity and Cultural Competence for one of the largest healthcare employers in the State of Wisconsin. He is also a former Vice President of Human Resources for a major financial organization and has advised executive management on the importance of the total human resources and organizational development functions relative to inclusion, productivity and profitability.
He is currently Vice President for Critical Measures, LLC, a national management consulting and training organization specializing in diversity and inclusion, cross-cultural healthcare and health equity.
Thom Britton - Science as Spectacle: Bringing Science Back Into the Public Eye
Once upon a time, science lectures were among the most popular shows on earth. Lines around the block, traffic jams and throngs of people all to see the latest and greatest in scientific achievement. Marie Cure, Michael Faraday and even Nikola Tesla all gave very popular public performances. This talk proposes a return science entertainment, with the goal that it inspire deeper understanding of, and participation in the sciences.
Thom Britton Biography
Thom Britton is a fire-eater, a classically trained chef, a science lecturer, director of stage plays, computer guru, producer of circus shows and a sideshow / freakshow historian.
Ron (Muqsahkwat) Corn, Jr - Language is the Key to Everything
90 percent of existing languages today are likely to become extinct within the next century. Through decades of governmental pressure, young Native Americans are now in an identity crisis. One of the most significant losses to the Native American culture is the loss of the native language. In this talk, Ron will discuss the need to revitalize the Menominee language.
Ron (Muqsahkwat) Corn, Jr Biography
Ron (Muqsahkwat) Corn, Jr. is a member of the Menominee Nation, a nation with a history in what is now called Wisconsin, that goes back farther than any other modern group of people.
Ron takes pride in being called a language warrior, and over the course of his life he has fought to maintain, preserve and now revitalize the unique dialect of Algonquin language. As groups continue to grow, it only matters if traditional culture and heritage teachings are honored and it has been Ron's great struggle to innovate and develop these skills to pass on to other members of the proud nation of the Menominee people.
Allen Edge - Weird
While being Weird may be considered a negative by many, this talk postulates that it is where creativity and genius reside. Although societal norms and conformity often seek to suppress weird, this talk embraces weird for the benefit of society and personal self-worth.
Allen Edge Biography
Allen D. Edge is an ordained minister, an actor, director, producer, and stand-up comedian with over forty years in the performing arts. Equipped with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Theatre from Columbia College in Chicago and a clear calling, Allen is a founding member of Bronzeville Arts Ensemble and founder and president of Transitions Edge Productions.
Misty Gedlinske - The Invisible Letter "B"
Perception is everything. It impacts our public image, as well as our personal relationships. Being open about one's orientation is a risk, but one that can pay off by living a fully authentic life. Visibility can break down stereotypes, eliminate shame and secrecy, and create accessible, realistic representation and role models.
Misty Gedlinske Biography
Misty Gedlinske is a Fond du Lac, Wisconsin resident originally from Asheville, North Carolina. She received her Associate of Applied Science degree in Leadership Development from Moraine Park Technical College in May 2018, and will transfer to UW-Green Bay in August to pursue her B.A.S. degree in Nonprofit Leadership. Her professional career includes over a decade in local government administration as a Municipal Clerk.
She is the founder of Fond du Lac Pride Alliance, a community outreach effort connecting local LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies with services, resources, and welcoming organizations.
Cassandra Haack - Counteracting Loneliness with Meaningful Mail Art
In a world where people are increasingly connected digitally, paradoxically, loneliness and isolation are still a big part of the human condition. Creating meaningful words or art and physically delivering them the old-fashioned way can help to break down barriers to isolation, and reap benefits for both sender and receiver.
Cassandra Haack Biography
Cassandra Haack is a fourth-year student at UW Oshkosh studying Secondary Education. While she proudly dedicates much of her time to maintaining her spot on the academic Dean’s List, she keeps herself grounded with a variety of pursuits, including immersion in worldwide "snail" (postal) mail communities that have taught her the value of meaningful letters.
Gretchen Herrmann - Make it a Beautiful Day: A reflection on living and dying…
Gretchen believes that how we choose to face life — and death — makes all the difference. In the last 100 years or so, as a culture, we have learned to fear death. We have given up the only control we have: the power to choose how we’ll deal with it. If we consider how our ancestors lived and died, we may learn to embrace death as a step on our journey. We’re all going to die, so Gretchen hopes to help others consider making it a rich experience...a beautiful thing.
Life has given Gretchen many opportunities to learn about living and dying. Too many. Faced with yet another death this year — her most difficult yet — Gretchen had the option to either cave into grief and despair or to face life and death with a focus on gratitude and optimism. Led by her husband Mark’s positive attitude when diagnosed with brain cancer in July 2017, she experienced the most amazing journey which impacted not just her, but her sons, extended family, her community and far beyond.
Gretchen Herrmann Biography
Gretchen Herrmann is a freelance Graphic Designer whose passions include living out loud, and learning what makes people tick. While those skills help her create design that moves people to do things, it has also helped her navigate through life and to overcome the hardship of losing six immediate family members.
Gretchen received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from UW Oshkosh and has continued her studies in Life Lessons. She is the mom of two 20-somethings, and is active in many area non-profits through her work, and as a volunteer.
Scott Lesnick - Limited Resources or Unlimited Resourcefulness: Getting More Done
Today’s professionals are tasked with the responsibility of navigating so many jobs within their job. We all want higher productivity, especially when faced with limited resources. How can we make this happen?
This talk proposes that we start from the understanding that resourcefulness requires consideration of multiple perspectives of the same resources. Resourcefulness follows from having the context to see something well enough to understand how we can take advantage of what otherwise might appear to be an obstacle.
Scott Lesnick Biography
Scott Lesnick exemplifies the attributes of the Never Give Up guy in many areas of his life. Having experienced an unimaginable horror in his personal life, Scott was able to focus on his resourcefulness, despite limited resources, to bring about a positive resolution. His tenacity and persistence has shown in his personal triumphs, business successes, and having run more than 50,000 miles over 30 years.
An author and speaker known around the world, he earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association. In addition, Scott has 28 award-winning sales and management years at a Fortune 500 company.
Shannon Rawski - #MeToo, #TimesUp, Now What?
The #MeToo movement raised awareness of the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace across every industry, and the #TimesUp movement followed, demanding real change towards decreasing the prevalence of this form of workplace abuse.
In seeking solutions, many are left wondering how to make changes or even what changes should be made. One solution has tended to be touted above the rest: training. But does sexual harassment training actually work to prevent sexual harassment? Could it be counter-productive? This talk will explore the effectiveness of training and the future for other solutions.
Shannon Rawski Biography
Dr. Shannon L. Rawski is a leading researcher in understanding sexual harassment in the workplace, especially employees' differing interpretations of ambiguous sexual behaviors (e.g., sexual joking). She also specializes in the effectiveness of anti-sexual harassment training programs and their unintended, negative side effects. Her research has been internationally recognized by The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and Le Monde.
Dr. Rawski is currently an Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resources at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, and earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. She also holds an M.A. in Management from the University of Nebraska, and a B.S. in Psychology from Bowling Green State University.
Charles Sykes - Navigating a Post-Truth World
What is the future of democracy in a world of "fake news"? When did any news we don't like become "fake news"? Do facts matter anymore? Do voters care about falsehoods? And how can we ever know who to believe? What's happened to us? And what can we do to fix it?
Charles Sykes Biography
Charles Sykes is an NBC / MSNBC contributor, a contributing editor at the Weekly Standard, and the host of the magazine’s Daily Standard podcast. For almost two and a half decades, until he stepped down in 2016, he was the host of a top-rated conservative radio talk show on WTMJ Radio out of Milwaukee.
Sykes has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Los Angeles times, Newsweek, Time.com, Salon, USA Today, National Review, The New York Review of Books, the New York Daily News, The Weekly Standard and other national publications. He has appeared on Meet the Press, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, State of the Union with Jake tapper, the Today Show, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, and the BBC.
Sykes is currently a member of the Aspen Institute's Knight Commission on Trust, Media and Democracy.
Jennifer Szydlik - The Cold Hard Truth about School Math
School math is a ruthless and ineffectual substitute for the real thing. Students often experience “math as a race” where quick memorization of tools pays dividends and powerful and authentic mathematical behaviors are marginalized – along with the students themselves.
Jennifer Szydlik Biography
Jennifer Earles Szydlik is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where she specializes in preparing future teachers and studies students’ beliefs about the nature of mathematics. She earned her Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a specialty in mathematics education.
Sharon Tenhundfeld - Being a Creativity Detective
Creativity isn’t just for artists. It is an essential tool for every person in their daily lives, and is used to solve problems, generate ideas, and communicate with others. By making time to play and imagine outside of our craft or profession, we can create an opportunity for our creativity to reveal itself and bring about the next big idea.
This talk explores how a musician’s non-traditional creative process can be simulated in work environments outside the arts, leading to greater job satisfaction, focus, engagement, and imagination.
Sharon Tenhundfeld Biography
Sharon Tenhundfeld performs as violist with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and teaches Viola and Music Business at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She is deeply committed to exploring collaboration in and outside the musical medium and has collaborated in concert with dancers, actors, and a range of visual artists.
Based on her performing and collaborative experiences she developed a practice method for musicians called Creative Musician: an artistic method to aid the expressivity of musicians. She actively researches creativity and the influence the arts have on music.
Sharon earned bachelor and master of music degrees in viola performance from New England Conservatory and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Paul Collins Wisconsin Distinguished Fellow.
