Let's (TED) Talk About It

Welcome to a new season of the TEDxUF podcast, big things are coming your way! In the first episode of “Let’s (TED) Talk About It”, we get to know Areesha Razi, Kyhlin Bellhorn, and Norman Bukingolts, the 2024 Executive Board. Listen as we laugh and share stories, play a lively game of Never Have I Ever, and talk everything TED.

Welcome back to a new semester! Meet our 2022-2023 Executive Board and hear their thoughts and insight about TEDxUF.

Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP) is most widely known because of it's effects on a person's appearance; however, there are many lesser known struggles, such as being underestimated in professional settings, and feeling excluded from society. Today we are talking with Christine Errico, who has a Ph.D. in accounting, and is now working as a Cleft Confidence coach to advocate and help those struggling with CLP. Join us as we discuss Christine's journey living with CLP, and how she is working to educate the public about CLP and promote inclusivity for cleft-affected individuals. 

Have an idea for Beyond the Talk? Send us an email at beyondthetalkuf@gmail.com

In a time when microbes are dominating our lives, researchers like Dr. Czyz are always looking for ways to avoid our "Microbial Doomsday." Dr. Czyz is an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida with the Microbiology and Cell Sciences Department. His Lab and interests involve a prevalent and potentially devastating field of Antimicrobial resistance and the development of alternate therapeutics to bacterial infections.

Dr. Foster is a Microbiologist with interests and research in Astrobiology. Her work uncovers the vast relationships between microbes and how they interact with their environment and surroundings, in space and on Earth.

A poet, photographer, literary critic, and modern-day hunter-gatherer of texts, Dr. Odutola is an ambassador of art and language with many importantly diverse views on the state of these fields today. This episode will transform the way you might view research and introduce you to the influence that global media has on your local community.

This episode features Dr. Dean, a well-accomplished biostatistician at the University of Florida, specializing in infectious disease epidemiology. 

We are rounding many corners during this pandemic, but there is still much to learn and understand about COVID-19. From sifting through vaccine efficacy data to social implications of this process, Dr. Dean breaks down some of the most highly discussed topics surrounding this disease.

Wake up and smell the roses!

Dr. Munger is the Director of the Center for Smell and Taste at the University of Florida and he shares his research and expertise in the science behind the senses. Join us in learning more about the fascinating ways our body experiences and interprets the world around us.

For this season's pilot episode, get a taste of what the University of Florida has to offer in terms of research from the director and founder of the Center for Undergraduate Research. Learn about current fascinating projects, tips on getting involved, and even some exclusive insight on Barack Obama.

We make sure to eat healthy, take breaks and exercise to maintain our physical and mental health, but how often do you think about your sexual health? Join us this week as we discuss disparities in health and how that can affect people's sexual health with Lazaro Tejera, UF alum and HIV Prevention Coordinator with the WellFlorida Council.

For more information about safe sexual health practices and resources available for you please check out everyonestopaidsnow.com.

New year, new great content! Every day we interact with fashion but have you ever stopped to think about how different trends come to be? Join us as we discuss style, artistry and the demise of athleisure with STRIKE magazine’s Kaureen and Matt (@strikemagazineuf)! We also have our final salon of the year this Saturday Feb. 1st at Flow Space in Downtown, Gainesville. Check out our facebook page (TEDxUF) for more info.

With larger implications for next semester, Erika and Virginia interview Mike Waylen, social geographer and PHD student at the University of Florida. Themes of social inequality, research, and the answers to STEM or no STEM, Virginia and Erika find out just how abstract the maps you think of can get!

Have you ever thought about how bugs affect your day to day? Join us as we bug out on the pod with Dr. Rebecca Baldwin, entomology professor here at the University of Florida. We talk about how bugs impact every aspect of our lives; from the places we live in, to the food we eat. 

In today's world, we are exposed to a variety of cultures in our day to day lives. However, have you ever stopped to think about how this increase in migration and globalization has impacted language? Join us this week as we speak with Dr. Diego Pascual and discuss Heritage Speaker Bilingualism, language and culture and the experience of being bilingual in the United States. 

Much to Virginia’s resentment, engineering is back. Join Erika and Virginia as they interview Derek Diel, a speaker of both the engineering and business language who combines his interests to compete in one of the most niche competitions around the world: Hyperloop. Learn more about how transportation, SpaceX, and memes can equate to the next generation of brilliance.

It's spooky season and Beyond the Talk is bringing you the facts behind the myths we all know and love. Join Virginia and Erika as they dive deep into the origins of your favorite spooky characters and share some of their favorite Gainesville scary stories.

We are constantly being confronted with advertisements, yet we usually don't really think about the impact advertising can have for certain communities. This week we interviewed Bienvenido "Benny" Torres, part of the faculty at UF's College of Journalism and Communications, as well as a Gator Alum. Join us as we discuss advertising and queer communities, advocacy and the cultural impact of RuPaul's Drag Race. 

Have you ever thought about how bees impact your day to day life, beyond just honey? In this episode, Erika and Virginia speak with Robert Schulte, an Industrial and Systems Engineer student at the University of Florida, as well as the proud owner of Karen's Bees.  Join them as they discuss the importance of bees and how these small creatures can transform the world of business and engineering. 

Beyond the Talk is back! Dive in with new hosts Erika and Virginia for season 2. In the first episode get to know the new faces as they get to know each other and recap last years record breaking conference. 

For the very last, audience-dedicated episode of Beyond the Talk, Zoe and Apeksha answer questions directly from listeners. Thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast for the past eight months - your incredible commitment to exploring the expansive world of TEDx Talks has inspired us beyond measure. We hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as we have. 

In the penultimate episode of the semester, Zoe and Apeksha dive into the recent college admissions scandal, “Operation Varsity Blues,” and discuss the implications of educational privilege from a university-student point of view. 

In a very special episode of Beyond the Talk, UF’s 12th and current President, W. Kent Fuchs, dives into detail about his non-traditional path to university leadership, his methods of remaining accessible to the student body, and his vision for the University of Florida’s future. President Fuchs helps to define and discuss the meaning behind “Legacy,” the theme of the 10th-annual TEDxUF conference. Few university presidents have become a relatable, visible presence on their campuses, but President Fuchs has managed to do just that, while constantly encouraging people to love one another and always have fun.

 Where does healing begin? Join us this with Gretchen Casey, an advocate and facilitator for Restorative Justice. With a long history of aiding victims and perpetrators, Gretchen explains what restorative justice is, her experience with sex crime victims, and her own journey to closure.   

In this episode of Beyond the Talk, Zoe and Apeksha interview Devon Mims, a first-year student pursuing a combined Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health. An episode that has something for everyone, Devon speaks to the added pressure of being a first-generation student, the importance of inclusivity in academic and extracurricular settings, and the intersection between animal care and disability services. 

 This episode of “Let’s Chat” covers a TEDxWestminster College talk given by Kalina Silverman, titled “How To Skip the Small Talk and Connect With Anyone.” Small talk can be exhausting and pointless in forming meaningful relationships, making unfamiliar situations such as freshman year of college feel isolating. Apeksha and Zoe discuss the importance of “Big Talk,” and how conversations that stretch beyond the weather can build impactful friendships that last a lifetime. 

In this episode, listeners learn about what goes into the creation of a TEDxUF salon event from the salon curator herself, Hannah Lyons. Additionally, Hannah speaks to her extensive involvement on campus, career goals, and lessons learned while holding influential leadership roles. Listen to get a unique, behind-the-scenes look into the creation of four highly impactful events over the past semester and a half.

 The “Let’s Talk” series returns for the spring semester with a discussion of Ann Morgan’s TEDGlobal Talk, “My Year Reading a Book From Every Country in the World.” Morgan, a UK-based author and blogger, discusses the impacts of reading only books within our comfort zone, a discovery that came after she took a year to expand her literary horizons in a spectacular way. The talk raises some pertinent questions: how do we interact with the international community, and how could our own reading use a lesson in global-mindedness? 

Beyond the Talk kicks off the spring semester with a brand-new episode featuring editor-in-chief of The Independent Florida Alligator, Paige Fry. This episode discusses the behind-the-scenes of student-run publications, as well as the importance of media literacy and awareness in the age of social media. The journey to becoming a journalist can be full of twists and turns, but Paige’s insight might make the journey a little bit smoother.