TEDxBradley University

Speakers

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

• Andrew Gerhart

  Dr. Andrew Gerhart is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University (Southfield, MI) with primary focus areas including thermo-fluids, active and collaborative student-centered learning, and engineering education. Dr. Gerhart has written over 90 publications and authored four books, including the top-selling fluid mechanics textbook in the world. He has facilitated over 100 workshops worldwide on active learning and mindset education. Dr. Gerhart was awarded the 2010 Michigan Professor of the Year (by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education), is a Fellow of the Engineering Society of Detroit, and is actively involved in the American Society for Engineering Educators and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers serving on the Performance Test Code Committee for Air-cooled Condensers.

• Brad McMillan

  Brad McMillan is the Executive Director of the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service and the Director of the Graduate Nonprofit Leadership program at Bradley University. He has a long history of community and public service in central Illinois and a record of bipartisan relationships with federal, state, and regional elected officials. Before joining Bradley, McMillan served for a decade as District Chief of Staff for former Congressman and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. He has served on several boards such as CHANGE Illinois, The Nature Conservancy, Heartland Health Services, and the Build the Block referendum campaign that resulted in the magnificent Peoria Riverfront Museum. In 2009, McMillan was named to the Illinois Reform Commission tasked by Governor Quinn to clean up state government. In 2021, he received Bradley’s Mergen award for outstanding public service.

• Emily Shields

  Emily Shields serves as Chief Strategy Officer for OSF HealthCare, responsible for leading the development, communication and execution of strategic initiatives that drive growth, innovation and long-term success for OSF. She plays a key role in advancing the OSF HealthCare brand and shaping growth strategies that support the system’s Mission and future Vision. Shields has helped lead four hospital acquisitions, expanding the OSF HealthCare footprint to 17 hospitals. Shields spearheaded joint venture opportunities, including an inpatient behavioral health hospital and an ambulatory surgery center. She has built meaningful relationships with providers and health systems, and developed strategies to grow service lines and influence referral patterns. Additionally, she led an initiative that partnered with local and regional employers to create customized services that improve care quality, enhance the patient experience, and reduce costs.

• Jim Shadid

  James E. Shadid is Bradley University’s 13th president. He served as a United States District Judge for the Central District of Illinois, appointed to that position by U.S. President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 7, 2011. Along the way, he ascended to chief judge during his federal stint on the bench. Prior to that, he was a state judge for 10 years, serving in the five-county 10th Judicial Circuit. After graduating from John Marshall Law School (now University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law) in 1983, he became an attorney in private practice in the Peoria area. As a 1979 Bradley graduate, Shadid has long given back to his alma mater, both as an adjunct professor and as a former university Trustee.

• Meenakshy Aiyer

  Dr. Meenakshy Aiyer, MD, MACP, MHPE, serves as Regional Dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP). Under her leadership, UICOMP expanded Graduate Medical Education programs and strengthened collaboration to improve patient care across the region. The new Center for Health Research broadened the College’s mission by advancing research, outreach, and solutions to improve health equity and outcomes. UICOMP also launched a pathway program with Bradley University to mentor students with local ties who have an interest in medical school. Dr. Aiyer led the Peoria Healthcare Collaborative Initiative to address healthcare disparities in central Illinois. A trusted community leader, she has received the Athena International Woman of the Year Award from the Peoria Chamber of Commerce and the Woman to Woman Health Care/Wellness Award from the Women’s Fund of Central Illinois.

• Patricia Welch Saleeby

  Dr. Patricia Welch Saleeby is Professor and Department Chair of the Dept. of Sociology, Criminology and Social Work at Bradley. She is the global Co-Chair of the Functioning and Disability Reference Group for the World Health Organization (WHO) focusing on improving data quality and comparability of international classifications like ICD, ICF, and ICHI. As part of the WHO Environmental Task Force, she helped develop the first environmental codes in the ICF predating Social Determinants of Health. She is a member of the Post-Acute Care Interoperability Project (PACIO) sponsored by CMS and MITRE Corporation, and the GRAVITY Project, which is a national collaborative developing data standards around using & sharing information on social determinants of health. She is an International Advisory Board member for the Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health, a member of the Coalition for Social Work and Health, Council on Social Work Education, and National Association of Social Workers.

• Sudesh Kannan

  Dr. Sudesh Kannan, PhD, known as Dr. K, transformed personal tragedy into a global mission. After losing his father early to heart disease and facing his own high cholesterol diagnosis, he co-authored "How to Beat the Heart Disease Epidemic Among South Asians" , uncovering critical genetic risks like lipoprotein(a). With a PhD in Materials Science and a background in human behavior change, Dr. K brings a unique scientific lens to health. An endurance athlete and meditation practitioner, he champions a powerful message: true well-being isn't just about individual knowledge or action, but about the vital support we offer each other. His talk will inspire you to be a catalyst for health, helping yourself and your loved ones move from simply surviving to truly thriving.