October 3, 2013

The annual Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conferences bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less. Drexel’s version of this world famous event is called TEDxDrexelU – where the “x” represents the tireless, independent work of Drexel students in organizing the now sold-out event, scheduled this Saturday, Oct. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Drexel University’s Main Auditorium (3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia).

At Drexel’s second annual TEDx installment, live presenters and recorded TEDTalks videos will be combined to spark deep discussion and connection. The event, “The Next X” (or, “The Next Unknown”), will have 14 speakers from across the nation, including Westphal faculty members Dr. Frank Lee and Nick Anselmo, along with NASA Astronaut and Drexel Alum Paul Richards, logo/type designer, author and originator of ambigrams Graphic Design Professor John Langdon, and independent filmmaker Sam Hyde. Though the event is sold out, event organizers are offering a live, online stream of the presentations on the TEDxDrexelU website, which can be accessed by clicking here.  

Biomedical Engineering student Dhairya Pujara is TEDxDrexelU’s lead student event organizer. His interest in TED began when he attended a 2009 presentation by Sir Ken Robinson in India. In 2012, Pujara organized the first-ever TEDx conference at Drexel University in Philadelphia before leaving on a trip to Mozambique to work in the country’s rural healthcare system. There, he organized the very first TEDx event in Mozambique — TEDxChicuque — in January 2013.

An energetic entrepreneur and Associate Director for Drexel University’s weServe initiative, Pujara says Product Design Program Director Professor Mike Glaser inspired the theme of his second TEDxDrexelU event. “When I was first asked if I was interested in doing a TEDx conference at Drexel University, I wasn’t too sure of my ability to pull it off as a mere graduate student with a busy schedule,” says Pujara. “But Prof. Glaser, who was working with me on other projects at the time, challenged me to take on the TEDx project. He said, ‘Why not? Go for it!’ Interestingly, ‘Why Not?’ was the theme of the first TEDx conference at Drexel University last year. So, I took this simple bit of advice to heart. Since then, Prof. Glaser has remained my mentor for all my endeavors.”