TEDxCanterbury School Youth

Speakers

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

• Annabel Gardner

  English Teacher, Canterbury School

  Annabel Gardner is a high school English teacher at Canterbury, where she not only loves what she teaches, but loves who she teaches even more. She coordinates the school's Writing Center, advises multiple student affinity groups including the Black Student Union and South Asian Student Alliance, and has guided students to win prestigious writing accolades, including New York Times recognition and thirteen Scholastic Gold Keys. A Vanderbilt University graduate with magna cum laude honors, Annabel is also a Columbia Teachers College Klingenstein Institute alum and a Scholastic Writing Outstanding Educator Award winner.

• Benjamin Steinmetz

  Junior, Canterbury School

  Benjamin Steinmetz, a junior at Canterbury School. Ben was born in Mongolia and has lived a truly global life. He lived in 13 countries before moving to Fort Wayne this year. At just 16 years old, he brings a unique perspective shaped by his international experiences. Outside of academics, he expresses his creativity and discipline through music, playing both the piano and guitar.

• Doyoung Kim

  Senior, Canterbury School

  Doyoung is a senior at Canterbury School. After moving to the US from Korea in 2024 he has developed strong skills in data analysis and research, with expertise in algorithms and geographic information systems (GIS). His accomplishments include conducting research on the KNN algorithm and leading data-driven projects using GIS to analyze complex datasets. Academically, he has pursued rigorous coursework and independent projects that have further strengthened his foundation in data science and research methodology. Doyoung is passionate about applying data science to solve real-world problems and hopes to continue expanding this interest in college and beyond. Outside of academics, he enjoys sports and creative projects, which he feels keeps him balanced and motivated.

• Jagadish Shukla

  Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, George Mason University

  Dr. Jagadish Shukla, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at George Mason University, earned his Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University and Sc.D. from MIT. He founded GMU’s Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, COLA, and the Climate Dynamics Ph.D. program, and helped establish institutions in the US, India, Italy, Brazil, and Korea. Author of 250+ papers and advisor to 25+ Ph.D. students, he showed that despite weather’s chaos, monthly and seasonal climate averages are predictable, highlighting land surface processes in variability. He pioneered atmospheric/oceanic reanalysis. Honors include India’s Padma Shri, NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, AMS’s Rossby Medal, WMO’s International Meteorological Prize, and AMS Honorary Membership. He was a lead IPCC author sharing the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. With his wife, he founded Gandhi College in his birthplace to empower women. His memoir, A Billion Butterflies, was published in 2024.

• Jason Moser

  Associate Dean of Research, Professor of Psychology, Kinesiology, and Neuroscience, Michigan State University

  Dr. Jason Moser is one of the world’s leading experts on anxiety and self-control. A Professor of Psychology, Kinesiology, and Neuroscience at Michigan State University and licensed Psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with clients with anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD, he studies how anxiety makes it harder to manage emotions, stay focused, and bounce back from mistakes. He uses neuroscience tools to identify links between anxiety and self-control problems and targets them with straightforward strategies that are tailored to the particular situation. Jason’s research has been published in top peer-reviewed journals. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and serves on review boards for the National Institute of Mental Health. His work has appeared in education legislation and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Wired, Forbes, Psychology Today, Scientific American Mind, and Real Simple.

• Kenny Wang

  Student, University of Notre Dame

  Kenny Wang is a first-year student at the University of Notre Dame and an alumnus of Canterbury School. Kenny is pursuing a double major in Aerospace Engineering and Economics, blending technical rigor with a wide understanding of global systems. He is also a talented pianist who has shared his music with many.