TEDxAlfred University

Speakers

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

• Brian Ngatunga

  Brian Ngatunga is a Class of 2024 Alfred University alum, graduating with a degree in Business Analytics and a minor in Marketing, and receiving the Marlin Miller Outstanding Senior Award. Now based in Columbus, Ohio, Brian works as a Data Analyst at NSG Group, a global glass manufacturing company In his talk, “Relearning Myself,” Brian explores how foreign nationals navigate identity, belonging, and cultural dissonance while building a life in a new environment. He’s excited to return to campus and share his ongoing journey toward joy, authenticity, and self-acceptance - and how that process continues to help him find his spark while inspiring others to find theirs.

• Caroline Burgos

  Caroline Burgos is the Assistant Director of Reunions and Affinity Chapters at Fordham University, where she helps create meaningful experiences for alumni and strengthen lifelong community connections. A proud Alfred University alum, Caroline earned her B.A. in Political Science and Global Studies in 2019 and her MBA in 2020. After working in Alfred University Advancement, she continued her career at Fordham, where she has spent the past four years and earned her second master’s degree in Humanitarian Studies in 2025. In her talk, “The Power of Mentorship,” Caroline reflects on how mentorship can shape our paths both personally and professionally. Her talk is rooted in her own Alfred experience, where she found a mentor who helped her build the future she lives today.

• Claire Lander

  Claire Lander is a senior at Alfred University studying Early Childhood and Childhood Education, with a concentration in psychology. She’s also a dedicated athlete on the Alfred University Women’s Tennis Team. This spring, Claire will be student-teaching in a 4th-grade classroom at the Alfred-Almond Central School District, bringing both heart and purpose into the classroom. Her talk, “Turning Pain into Purpose,” explores how childhood adversity and protective experiences can shape resilience, healing, and the way we grow into who we’re meant to be. Claire is passionate about mental health and becoming the kind of educator who helps children feel seen, safe, and supported. She’s excited to share her story and be part of an event that celebrates growth and purpose.

• Dr. Angie Taylor

  Dr. Angie Taylor is the Chief Inclusivity Officer at Alfred University and a widely respected leader in athletics. Her career has taken her across the U.S. and around the world, with experience in coaching, high-performance leadership, and inclusive excellence. She has worked in leadership roles with Nigeria, USA Track & Field, and Alfred University, while also contributing to athletics and student development at several major institutions. In her talk, “Purpose Outlasts Performance,” Dr. Taylor reflects on how success is about more than results — it is about the purpose, passion, and impact behind what we do. Her perspective brings together leadership, resilience, and inclusivity, showing how purpose can continue to guide us long after any achievement.

• Dr. Danielle Gagne

  Dr. Danielle Gagne has been a member of the Psychology Division at Alfred University since 2004. What started as a professional opportunity quickly became a true home - as she embraced both the campus and the Alfred community. In her talk on gravestone symbolism, Dr. Gagne invites us to see cemeteries as “living museums.” Carved images, like clasped hands or broken columns - quietly tell stories of love, loss, faith, and identity. Through these enduring symbols, she reveals how cemeteries preserve a powerful historical record of societal values, cultural traditions, and personal legacies - passed down across generations.

• Dr. Lynn Petrillo

  Lynn Petrillo is a Clinical Assistant Professor of English at Alfred University, as well as a wife, mother, and proud cat mom. In her talk, “How Does it Feel to Be You?”, Lynn reflects on a question her students have been answering for more than thirty years - and how the questions we ask ourselves can help guide us toward our own light. For Lynn, this talk is deeply personal: a thank-you note and love letter to her AU students. After spending years listening to TED Talks, having the chance to share one of her own is a dream come true.

• Dr. Marilú Marcillo

  Dr. Marilú Marcillo is the Dean of the School of Business & Information Sciences at Felician University and the only Latina Business Dean leading a Business & Information Sciences school in New Jersey. A proud first-generation Alfred University graduate (Class of ’90), she brings over 20 years of corporate leadership, along with nearly two decades in higher education, to her work advancing economically sustainable organizations and student equity. Her talk, “The Center of the World is Wherever You Are,” is rooted in a defining moment from her time at Alfred - a shift from feeling limited by circumstances to becoming the architect of her own path. Dr. Marcillo’s message centers on mindset as a catalyst for growth, especially at the turning points that shape our lives and careers.

• Keshell Scipio

  Keshell is a Customer Success Manager at Zauben, a sustainability-focused startup where design meets workplace experience. Before that, she spent 5+ years in entertainment and experiential marketing - working on large-scale activations and television for brands like Adidas, Jordan, the Envsn Festival, the Brooklyn Museum, and TLC Network. As an Alfred University alum, Keshell’s legacy on campus runs deep - from founding AUTV to leadership roles in Sister Circle and Media Hub, working as a student manager at Sheryl’s Closet, and serving as Student Director of Communications in the Dean’s Office. Her talk, “Multipotentiality Is Not Confusion: How Being ‘Too Many Things’ Became My Spark”, is about turning multiple passions into clarity, confidence, and power - and realizing that being “a lot” can actually be your advantage. Keshell is most excited to reconnect with the Alfred community, meet new faces, and connect with students who see their own stories reflected in her journey.

• Mark Ungurian

  Mark Ungurian is a computer science and marketing senior at Alfred University, originally from Ukraine. He is the founder of Taxi 993, a taxi business he started at 18, and he currently leads Alfred Web and Digital, a student-run business that supports other student ventures and small businesses. He is also a co-founder of CoachMe, a sports and wellness platform, and a member of the Alfred University NCAA Division III men’s tennis team. This fall, he will continue his journey at the University of Rochester's Simon Business School, pursuing his MBA. His talk, The Luck You Built, explores the difference between the luck we get and the luck we create, reflecting on how some of life's most important opportunities begin before we feel ready for them. What excites him most about TEDxAlfred University is the chance to share a message that feels deeply personal, while encouraging others to stop waiting and start building something meaningful with the opportunities in front of them.

• Matías Homar

  Matías Homar is a composer, guitarist, and creator of interactive musical instruments whose work lives at the intersection of sound, technology, and performance. He is a Visiting Professor of Sound Studies in Alfred University’s Performing Arts Division, where he teaches and develops experimental approaches to listening and making. His music and installations have been presented internationally through ensembles and festivals in contemporary and experimental music. In his talk, “The Practice of Enactive Composition,” Matías explores how sound, movement, and technology can come together to create new forms of expression, connection, and shared experience. Through collaborations with dancers, students, and communities, his work reimagines technology as a tool for creativity, interaction, and human connection.

• Matthew Bittel

  Matthew Bittel is a senior in ceramic engineering at Alfred University and a materials science intern at Lockheed Martin, where he researches piezoelectric ceramics for sonar applications. At Alfred, he founded and serves as president of the Mug Drop Club, a student organization that grew from a conversation in his apartment into a 70-member club connecting Alfred’s art and engineering schools. He also co-founded DeCayse, a sustainable phone case startup that earned $5K in funding by rethinking product lifecycles. In his talk, “Belief is Built in the In-Between,” Matthew reflects on his journey at Alfred and how he discovered his passions along the way. He’s especially excited to challenge Alfred students to build something new - and to remind them that they are capable of more than they think.

• Yuliia Koreiba

  Yuliia Koreiba is an alum of Alfred University, where she studied Business Analytics with minors in Marketing and Economics, was the president of the WALF Radio Station and Analytics Club, co-founder of the Ukrainian Students Association, and a captain of alpine skiing team. Now, as an MSBA student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she focuses on using data to guide better decisions and build more human-centered organizations. Her talk, Forget Passion. Start Practicing Purpose, explores the idea that purpose isn’t a single moment you stumble into, but something you slowly build through consistent, intentional choices, even when you don't feel like you belong or are “good enough.” What excites her most about this event is the chance to sit in that uncertainty together with the Alfred community and shift how someone thinks about their own “spark.”