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TEDx Tuesdays are coming to Widener beginning this month. 

Widener University hosted its first TEDx Talk event during the fall semester on the Chester Campus. The sold-out event took place in Alumni Auditorium with limited seating due to TEDx requirements.

Now, the viewing experience is open to everyone with the introduction of TEDx Tuesdays, a lunchtime Zoom event from 12 to1 p.m. that takes place on the last Tuesday of every month. Widener will feature the talks of each of the five speakers throughout the spring semester. 

The TEDx Tuesday Zoom gatherings are open to the public and will bring together members of the university community to discuss ideas the speakers shared during their TEDx Talks. Videos are available on YouTube, and participants should watch the talks before the Tuesday gatherings, to be prepared to discuss them.

“The TEDx event was such a wonderful experience for our staff, students, and campus community. Everyone worked really hard to make the event a success. While seating was limited for the inaugural live event, I’m very excited that we are now able to share videos of it with the public, and welcome so many more people to the discussion,” said Jeannine McKnight, lead organizer for TEDxWidenerUniversity and senior editor for Widener’s University Relations department.

The first TEDxWidenerUniversity event theme was “Brainstorm” and featured a diverse and brilliant lineup of speakers from the Widener community and beyond. 

The TEDx Tuesdays schedule includes: 

• Jan. 31, Marina Barnett, associate professor of social work, “Stone soup: A recipe for community organizing.” 
• Feb. 28, Angie Corbo, associate professor and chair of communication studies, “Belonging and inclusion: Beyond buzzwords.”
• March 28, Ryan M. Raiker ’16 and ’17; business consultant, process and marketing expert, and Widener adjunct professor; “Define your personal brand and leave a legacy in the digital age.”
• April 25, Natalie Sassi, nursing senior, “Nurses can combat human trafficking.”
• May 30, Dr. Erol Veznedaroglu (Dr. Vez); cerebrovascular neurosurgeon, nationally recognized academic leader in cerebrovascular care, chair of Global Neurosciences Institute, and director of Drexel Neurosciences Institute; “Technology & innovation in the neurosciences.”

Widener TEDx Tuesdays will be moderated by junior communications major Kendall Gordon. Gordon was the 2022 co-executive producer of TEDx Widener University and will be head of Widener's new TEDx student organization. 

“Working on the TEDx Talks here at Widener has been a great experience for me. I was able to work with the camera and audio operators and learn a lot from them. I would like to work in production and communications in the future, so I am grateful that I am able to get that hands-on experience,” said Gordon. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the TEDx team here and lead the TEDx student organization. I want to see more people involved and get them out of their comfort zone.”