TEDxUniversityofStThomas

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Desdamona

  Desdamona is a five-time Minnesota Music Award winner and recipient of two Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grants. Des has traveled the United States and abroad delivering her lyrics and spoken word and spends much of her time in both traditional and non-traditional classrooms spaces throughout the Midwest and beyond, working in over 300 schools, prisons and community centers. She helped to co-found B-Girl Be in 2005, a first of its kind celebration of women’s contributions to Hip Hop culture. She has shared the stage with the likes of poetic greats Saul Williams and Ursula Rucker and Hip Hop legends Wyclef Jean, Guru and KRS One.

• Artika Tyner

  Dr. Artika Renee Tyner is a passionate educator, author, sought after speaker, and advocate for justice. At the University of St. Thomas College of Education, Leadership & Counseling, Dr. Tyner serves as a public policy/leadership professor. She trains graduate students to serve as social engineers who create new inroads to justice and freedom. Dr. Tyner leads by example by organizing policy campaigns, fostering restorative justice practices, developing social entrepreneurship initiatives, and promoting assets-based community development. She serves as a global citizen by supporting education, entrepreneurship, and women’s leadership initiatives in Africa.

• Tom Rademacher

  Tom Rademacher teaches high school English at the FAIR School Downtown in Minneapolis. His work in the classroom is focused on giving his students opportunities to learn about the world, reasons to really care about it, and the voice and tools to change it. Outside of his classroom, he focuses on teacher advocacy, working as a founding member of Education Minnesota’s NEXTGEN group, a member of the Educators 4 Excellence teacher leadership team, and a member of the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership’s Solutions Not Suspensions Coalition. As Minnesota’s 2014 Teacher of the Year, he will spend the year writing and speaking about issues important to Minnesota’s educators.

• Bill Keilty

  Bill Keilty, Ed.D., graduated from the University of St. Thomas with his master’s in curriculum and instruction in gifted education. He completed his doctorate from the University of St. Thomas in educational leadership. He designed and implemented and directed the Lighthouse Program in Spring Lake Park Schools. This unique program is now a school serving over 100 students, ages 6-18 from across the metro area.

• Kasim Abdur Razzaq

  Kasim AbdurRazzaq is a Licensed Psychotherapist, School Social Worker and native of St. Paul, Minnesota. Kasim conducts community and organization dialogues on Race and Power. His latest effort of self-authored “American Oppressed” Racial Cards are intentioned to help individuals recognize and unpack oppressive incidents as they happen one to one within our society.

• Cordell Steiner

  When not pursuing academic achievement at school or enlightenment at church 5th grader Cordell Steiner enjoys spending his time with Legos, golf, basketball, and Boy Scouts. Cordell found value in a classroom that is centered around the individual student through gaming. He looks forward to spreading this concept to other classrooms and schools by telling his personal account of Mr. Ananth Pai third grade classroom and extolling its benefits.

• J. Roxanne Prichard

  J. Roxanne Prichard, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St. Thomas. She earned a B.A. in Biopsychology from Transylvania University in 1998, and her doctorate in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2004. Her graduate work focused on the neuroanatomical systems that coordinate sleep responses to light. She regularly leads continuing educational workshops and public lectures on sleep and health.

• Charles Vickers

  Charles Vickers is currently an elementary school principal at St. Peter Claver in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He has over thirteen years of teacher experience the field of education. His goals focus on developing strategies that empower African American young men to become successful life learners. In addition to supporting initiatives for academic excellence for students. His long-term goal is to become a university professor and start a non-profit for African American young men.

• Steve Cole

  An accomplished musician, writer, producer, and educator, Steve maintains a rigorous international touring schedule, is a sought after lecturer and clinician, and has served on the Board of Governors of the Mid-West chapter of The Recording Academy. Before joining the faculty of the University of St. Thomas-Minnesota, Steve held the position of Assistant Professor of Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management at Columbia College Chicago where he was the head of the Music Business program.

• Adam Katz

  Adam Katz grew up in Milwaukee, Wis. He is currently enrolled at the University of St. Thomas earning his Academic Behavior Strategist license. He has been a special education teacher since 2006. He is passionate about incorporating books he has written in his classes. Seeing students excited and engaged in their learning by reading materials that he has created reminds him each day how lucky he is to have the opportunity to inspire children.

• Catherine Thimmesh

  Catherine Thimmesh is an award-winning children's book author, currently focusing on creative nonfiction. (Her books include the Sibert medal-winning book "TEAM MOON: How 400,000 people landed Apollo 11 on the Moon"; and most recently, "SCALY SPOTTED FEATHERED FRILLED: How do we know what dinosaurs really looked like?") Catherine will address the topic of Creativity in the Classroom. Shell provide concrete suggestions for fostering creativity that can be used in any classroom and that take five minutes or less to implement, require no prep or monetary resources, and can be put into action immediately.