The talk of TEDx

Metropolitan State University of Denver partnered with TEDx Cherry Creek to present TEDx MSU Denver 2019 on Sept. 12.

In the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” TEDx MSU Denver 2019 curated a TED-style event planned and coordinated independently, under license from TED. The event themed “Reimagining Possibilities” featured 17 TED-style talks and two performances from eight faculty members, three alumni, multiple students and University President Janine Davidson, Ph.D.

Here are the big ideas MSU Denver thought leaders shared at TEDx MSU Denver 2019.

Is college worth it?

Janine Davidson, Ph.D.

“It’s going to take all of us to toss the ladder down for the next generation and ensure the American Dream is a possibility for everyone. And that’s something worth fighting for.” -Janine Davidson, Ph.D., MSU Denver president

Self care to communities of care

Travis Heath, Ph.D.

“How have we come to think as mental health as individualized project? How can we separate it from the cultural context in which it’s created? Let’s reimagine the possibilities if your care is bound up in mine, and mine in yours.” -Travis Heath, Ph.D., MSU Denver associate professor of psychological sciences

The dying mothers, sisters, daughters, friends

Katrina Little

“A generation of unconscious bias ignoring the voice of the underserved can affect generations to come. We can’t impact how everyone sees us, but through education and advocacy we can make an impact. That way we’re not just seen – we are heard.” -Katrina Little, MSU Denver nursing lecturer

The power of purpose in business

David Bechtold

“Purpose doesn’t make a company weaker; it makes it stronger, aligning behind noble causes. Purpose creates value that markets will reward.” -David Bechtold, MSU Denver associate professor of management, on Blue Star Recycling’s mission of providing meaningful employment for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

The four pillars of disruption in philanthropy

Carrie Morgridge

“I want you to fail; I want you to fail forward — but I want you to finish.” – Carrie Morgridge, Chief Disruptor of The Morgridge Family Foundation and author of “Every Gift Matters” and “The Spirit of the Trail: A Journey to Fulfillment Along the Continental Divide.”

A society of inclusion

Charlie Buckley, Ph.D., and Jo Buckley

“Inclusion means not just putting everybody in the same classroom — which may be a good start — but is really saying, ‘How do we really value every member of this community? How do we give them support so that they can really reach their highest expectations.'” -Jo Buckley, bilingual educational assistant and daughter of Charlie Buckley, Ph.D., assistant professor in MSU Denver’s School of Education

The freedom of hate speech

Katia Campbell, Ph.D.

“Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequence, nor freedom from responsibilities of that speech. We are living in difficult times, but you know what? We’ve been here before. We’ve overcome it before and we will damn well overcome it again.”-Katia Campbell, Ph.D., MSU Denver associate professor of communication studies, on hate speech.

Embracing fear to find strength in leadership

Katrina Chaffin, student, MSU Denver Masters of Health Administration

“Leadership and fear go hand in hand, especially for young women. We can change our mindset and behavior because we’re living at a time where we can question social and cultural norms. We can embrace feelings of fear to find strength, be courageous, and build confidence.” -Katrina Chaffin, student, MSU Denver Masters of Health Administration

The future of humanity: homo sapiens to spacelings

Dave Gingerich, MSU Denver faculty and senior staff engineer in deep space exploration at Lockheed Martin

“So, why should we explore space? There’s a simple answer – if we don’t, we all die.” -Dave Gingerich, senior staff engineer in deep space exploration at Lockheed Martin and MSU Denver faculty member on humanity’s eventual need to become a space-faring species.

Lasting learning in an age of abundant information

Emily Ragan, Ph.D., MSU Denver professor of chemistry and biochemistry

“When we’re constructing knowledge, we’re putting the pieces together. Through reflection, we take skills, integrate them and effectively apply them in our lives.” -Emily Ragan, Ph.D., MSU Denver professor of chemistry and biochemistry and advocate for open educational resources, on learning access and retention.

Showing up as you

Emily Yetzbacher, MSU Denver alumna and corporate operations manager

“It’s one thing to know that what we do is not who we are, and it’s another to believe in who we are. But it’s a choice we make to show up who we are. The real question isn’t what you want to be when you grow up, but who do you want to be today.” -Emily Yetzbacher, MSU Denver social work alumna and corporate operations manager, on combatting burnout.

A self-love tool for perfectionists

Tyler Kingsbury, MSU Denver biology alumna

“What do you do when your bully lives inside of you? Looking back, I didn’t really want to die. I just didn’t know how to live.” Tyler Kingsbury, MSU Denver biology alumna, on navigating out of a perfection-driven mindset and learning to love the self after surviving a suicide attempt.

What do tattoos, long hair and sagging pants got to do with it

William Anderson, MSU Denver biology alumnus and teacher at Manual High School

“For every door you’ve closed in front of us, we build our own doors. We are radicals, and we are the vanguard.” -William Anderson, MSU Denver alumnus and social studies teacher at Manual High School, on being labeled radical for having long hair and tattoos.