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One week from today, UofSC will host its first ever virtual TEDxUofSC event on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The event is guided by TED’s goal of sharing ideas worth spreading. TEDxUofSC 2020 will be broadcast virtually from the Columbia campus via Facebook Live from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., making it easier than ever for anyone to participate.

Like most things in 2020, the TEDxUofSC team faced a challenge of planning the event during a pandemic. When everything shut down earlier this year, it looked like the entire event would have to be postponed indefinitely. But TED, the parent organization of the TEDx programs, refused to let a year (or more) of sharing good ideas + groundbreaking progress go by. The solution was to license TEDx programs to go virtual.

The event is free + open to the public and all attendees are encouraged to register online.

TEDxUofSC 2020, will be hosted by alumna Rania Jamison — a public speaker, entrepreneur + communications consultant — and will feature five insightful talks.

🎤 Archie Crowley PhD. student in linguistics knows that words have the power to connect us. This talk will provide a historical + cultural perspective to help the audience understand linguistic evolution concerning gender and identity.

🎤 Amit Sheth, founding director of South Carolina’s Artificial Intelligence Institute, will discuss leading a team that develops apps + chat bots to keep patients with chronic illness in communication with their health care providers.

🎤 Ann Eisenberg, assistant professor at the School of Law, will look at reviving our rural communities during this talk. As an expert in rural decline, she will share her vision for building a new, thriving rural America.

🎤 Research professor Lorne Hofseth studies the link between chronic inflammation + colon cancer. He will discuss how a western diet and lifestyle could cause carcinogens in the colon, and provide tips to reduce chronic inflammation.

🎤 Kailey Mattison, a Pharm.D. candidate who medically retired from soccer while at South Carolina, will share with parents tips for building off-the-field habits with their kids to ensure that success on the field is matched with success throughout life.

For more information on the speakers or to register today visit this website, or email the program here.

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