TEDxStevens Institute of Technology

Speakers

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

• Erin McGee

  Erin McGee is a recent graduate from Stevens Institute of Technology double majoring in physics and pure and applied mathematics. Her time has been focused largely on experimental optical physics and quantum mechanics, having performed research at Harvard’s Laboratory for Nanoscale Optics, NASA Space Communications and Navigations, and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory at Caltech. Erin is also passionate about effective science communication, having written dozens of articles for Stevens’ student newspaper and other publications, as well as speaking at conferences in both the US and abroad. She is currently pursuing a PhD in physics at Yale University.

• Jennifer Kang-Mieler

  Dr. Kang-Mieler is the George Meade Bond Endowed Professor, Department Chair of Biomedical Engineering, and the Director of the Semcer Center for Healthcare Innovation at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA. She received her BA in Mathematics, MS in Applied Mathematics, and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Dr. Kang-Mieler’s NIH-supported translational research projects focus on ocular drug delivery, retinal imaging and analysis (including AI and machine learning), biomarkers, retinal hemodynamics, and electrophysiology. Her clinical interests encompass retinal vascular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinopathy of prematurity. Dr. Kang-Mieler actively participates in the Macula Society, the Retina Society, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO), the Club Jules Gonin, and the Dowling Society. She has served on the ARVO Board of Trustees, representing the Retina section, and previously held the position of Vice President of ARVO. She participates in various research grant review panels, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she recently completed her role as Chair of the Brain Imaging, Vision, Bioengineering, and Low Vision Technology Development (BIVT) panel. Additionally, she acts as the Secretary of the BMES Council of Chairs Executive Committee and is the President of the Northeast Bioengineering League Executive Committee. She is the 2025 ARVO Foundation Honoree.

• Michelle Burke

  Michelle Y. Burke is an award-winning poet as well as a devoted teacher and mother. She is the author of the poetry collection Animal Purpose, winner of the Hollis Summers Poetry Prize, and her poetry has been featured on The Writer’s Almanac, American Life in Poetry, Best of the Net, and Poetry Out Loud. She’s received poetry prizes from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund, the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, and the American Literary Review, and fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the Vermont Studio Center, and the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center. She holds a PhD from the University of Cincinnati, an MFA from the Ohio State University, and a BA from Loyola University Maryland and is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Foundations of Critical Inquiry Program at the Stevens Institute of Technology. At Stevens, she teaches courses that explore creativity and the intersection of technology and ethics. She believes in creating opportunities for screen-free conversation, especially for young people, and with the help of her daughter, she hosts regular knitting circles and nature outings for the tweens and teens in her community.

• Sara Klein

  Dr. Sara Klein is the inaugural Vice President for Student Affairs at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she leads campus-wide efforts to foster a safe, inclusive, and enriching environment for students. With over 25 years of experience in higher education, Sara has served in leadership roles across student affairs, including Dean of Campus Life, Title IX Coordinator, and Director of Residential Education. A two-time graduate of NYU, where she earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Higher Education, Sara is also an adjunct professor and published scholar, with work appearing in national journals and higher education texts. Her early career included time at Goldman Sachs—an unexpected stop that shaped her multidimensional approach to leadership. Sara is passionate about student development, psychosocial identities, and creating communities where people feel they truly belong. Outside of her work, she’s a devoted teacher, mentor, and musical theater enthusiast who believes deeply in the transformative power of education—and in showing up with both heart and hustle.

• Wei Zheng

  Dr. Wei Zheng is the Richard R. Roscitt Endowed Chair Professor in Leadership at Stevens Institute of Technology. Her research, teaching, and practice focus on leadership development and inclusion, addressing questions such as how people grow into leaders, how women leaders thrive in organizations, and what inclusive leaders do. Dr. Zheng has studied leadership in corporate, entrepreneurial, national laboratory, and faith-based organizations, and has conducted in-depth interviews with 150+ top-level executives in the US. Her research work has appeared in top scholarly outlets as well as practitioner ones such as the Harvard Business Review. She has given invited talks and workshops on leadership to companies such as Merck, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Hartford, Securian, ITT, Safran, and SUEZ. At Stevens, Dr. Zheng leads leadership education initiatives, including the Stevens Inclusive Leadership Certificate Program. Her thought leadership earned her recognition as a finalist for the 2021 Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Award for Leadership. Dr. Zheng received her PhD degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota, her master’s degree in Comparative and International Development Education from the University of Minnesota, and Bachelor’s Degrees in English Language and Literature and in Economics from Peking University.