(En)Lightning Talks

 

CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI 

 "We, Too, Sing America"

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author, poet, and activist. She is the McDavid Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Houston.
 

 

 

PATRICE O. YARBOUGH

 "NASA's HERA has the 'Right Stuff' for Isolation Research in Space and on Earth"

Patrice O. Yarbough is a senior scientist employed by KBRwyle and contracted to NASA's Human Research Program. She is the principal investigator for the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA). 
 

 

TONY PAYAN

 "The Border Trilogy: Three Myths about the U.S.-Mexico Border" 

Tony Payan is the director of the Mexico Center at Rice University's Baker Institute and an expert in border governance, flows, immigration, security, and organized crime. 



 

FUMIKO FUTAMURA

 "When Artists Become Mathematicians" 

Fumiko Futamura is an artist and associate professor of mathematics at Southwestern University, specializing in the intersections between mathematics and the arts.

 

 

RICK LOWE

 "Social Sculpture: The Shaping of a Community"

Rick Lowe is a Houston-based artist who develops world-renowned projects including Project Row Houses. He is an associate professor at University of Houston.
 

 

 

CLIFFORD JOHNSON 

 "The Marvel of Science: Comics Illuminate the Universe"

Clifford Johnson is a scientist, writer, science communicator, and a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern California. 
 

 

 

NANCY MARIE MITHLO

 "Self and Others: Why Not Knowing May be a Good Thing" 

Nancy Marie Mithlo is an associate professor of art history and visual arts at Occidental College, and an acclaimed scholar of contemporary Indigenous arts.  (Photo credit: Julien McRoberts) 
 

 

FRANCIS SU

 "Mathematics for Human Flourishing" 

Francis Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and the past president of the Mathematical Association of America. 



 

TEOFILO RUIZ

 "The Terror of History: The Witch Craze in Early Modern Europe" 

Teofilo Ruiz is a scholar of the social and popular culture of late medieval and early modern Spain at UCLA.  (Photo credit: Scarlett Freund) 

 

 

LUCY JONES

 "The Big Ones" 

Lucy Jones is one of the world’s most influential seismologists and founder of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society. 
 

 

NATASHA TRETHEWEY

 "Enlightenment" 

Natasha Trethewey is a former U.S. Poet Laureate and Professor of English and Creative Writing. 

 

 

WILL RATCLIFF

 "The Rise of Multicellular Life: What Yeast Tells Us About Evolution" 

Will Ratcliff was one of Popular Science's 2016 "Brilliant 10," and is an Assistant Professor of Science and Technology.  

 

 

COSMO WHYTE

 "Promis(ed) Land - Migration Through the Lens of Contemporary Art" 

Cosmo Whyte is a trans-disciplinary artist and lecturer of visual arts. 


 

KEN ONO 

 "The Man Who Knew Infinity" 

Ken Ono is a Professor of Mathematics, expert in number theory and Associate Producer of the film, The Man Who Knew Infinity. 


 

ELEANOR MORRIS

 “The Breakup?: EU-US Relations in a Populist World”

Eleanor Morris is the Associate Professor of Political Science and Program Director of International Relations at Agnes Scott College.


 

GRETA BINFORD

 “Along Came a Spider: The Value of a Single Arachnid” 

Greta Binford is a professor of biology at Lewis & Clark College. Professor Binford has traveled across the world collecting venomous spider specimens to reveal how species diversify over eons of time. 

 

TURIYA AUTRY

 “Roots, Reality, and Rhyme”

Turiya Autry is a poet, playwright, university lecturer, youth engagement specialist, and public speaker. She is also the author of a poetry collection, Roots, Reality, and Rhyme. 

 

 

REBECCA VEGA THURBER

 "Coral Reef Decline in the Age of the Anthropocene"

Rebecca Vega Thurber is a marine biologist at Oregon State University who investigates the microbial and viral ecology of threatened marine species and habitats. 


 

ANOOP MIRPURI 

 “Why do We Have Police?” 

Anoop Mirpuri is Assistant Professor of English and affiliate faculty in Black Studies at Portland State University. His research focuses on the relation between American capitalism and representations of crime and prison in U.S. narrative culture.

 

ELLEN MILLENDER 

 "Democracy and Its Discontents: Why Ancient Athens Matters Today"

Ellen Millender is a professor of classics and humanities at Reed College. She has published articles and contributed to several books on Spartan society. 

 

 

 

PAUL SERENO

 “Why Dinosaurs Look The Way They Do" 

Paul Sereno is a paleontologist, University of Chicago professor and National Geographic Explorer. 

 

 

AUDREY PETTY 

 "Up South: Hospitality and Foodways in Chicago Public Housing" 

Audrey Petty is an educator and writer of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. She is the editor of High Rise Stories, which depicts life in Chicago public housing.  
 

 

VICKY KALOGERA

 "Discovering the Sounds of Black Holes"

Vicky Kalogera is the Daniel I. Linzer Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University, and the co-founder and director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics.

 

MIGUEL DE BACA

 "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Contemporary Art"

Miguel de Baca is an author and associate professor of Art History at Lake Forest College. His specialties include cultural history and American studies; memory studies; and photography. 
 

 

EUGENIA CHANG 

 "When 1 + 1 = 3"

Eugenia Cheng is the Scientist In Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and tenured in Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield (UK).