Do the mid-semester doldrums have you in a funk and lacking inspiration? Shake off the winter blues and get x-cited for OU’s first-ever TEDx conference, taking place on Saturday, March 15 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Focusing on the theme of “Inspiration”, the event will be held in in room 1050 of the Human Health Building and feature speakers and performers ranging from hip-hop artists to engineers, all gathering to further the TEDx slogan of “ideas worth spreading.” “Love Doctor” Terri Orbuch, 12-year-old musical prodigy Daniel Cho, “Insite the Riot” hip-hop artist Allandra Bulger, and world-traveling OU Professor Barbara Oakley are just four of the twelve set to perform at the conference.

Dr. Terri Orbuch

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota where my extended family still lives. I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Iowa. I joined the faculty at Oakland University in 1998. As a Professor of Sociology, I teach courses in interpersonal relationships, social psychology and human sexuality. I am also the project director of a long-term study on marriage, divorce, and repartnering (1986-present), funded by the National Institutes of Health. I am known as “The Love Doctor”, a relationship expert in the media (TV, radio, print and online), who combines her vast experience as a social psychologist and therapist with proven, practical advice based on scientific research findings. I have been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Cosmopolitan and Time Magazine, and have appeared on The Today Show, The Katie Couric Show, ESPN and CNN. My relationship segments also are aired on Fox-TV Detroit. Personally, I have been married for 21 years, and have two teenage children.

Can you give us a sneak preview into what you’ll be talking about for the conference?

When you’re in a new relationship, how do you know if you’re in lust or in love? I will be talking about the differences between lust and love. What are the clues to distinguish between lust and love, and how to reignite that lustful desire in loving long-term relationships.

The theme of this TEDx conference is “Inspiration”. What inspires you?

Relationships inspire me — both personally and professionally. Having positive relationships are vital and key to a happy and healthy life. When your relationships are positive, you’re happier and healthier — both physically and psychologically. That is why I’m inspired to bring good scientific advice about how to develop and maintain happy relationships to real people in real relationships. I want to share the research-based strategies for building strong and positive relationships. That is also why I’m inspired to build happy and positive personal relationships as well — I know how important they are to my own health and well-being!

What does speaking at OU’s first TEDx conference mean to you?

Oakland University is a supportive and inspiring intellectual community. It is full of students, scholars, staff and educators who value education, sharing new ideas and knowledge, and public dialogue. I am honored to be a part of this first TEDx conference and promote intellectual exchange on a community level.

Daniel Cho

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

My name is Daniel Cho and I was born in Buffalo, New York. I am 12 years old and I play the violin and the piano and also compose music. Music, for as long as I can remember, has always been in my life. I love music not only because of its artistic, cultural, and historical qualities but also because of the wide range of human emotions that it can express.

Can you give us a sneak preview into what you’ll be talking about at the conference?

At the conference, I’ll generally be talking about how culture and history affects music.

The theme of this TEDx conference is “Inspiration”. What inspires you?

What inspires me a lot is seeing great pieces of artwork and listening to great musical masterpieces, and noting the depictions of human culture in such art.

What does speaking at OU’s first TEDx conference mean to you?

I am so honored to be at OU’s first TEDx conference, as the first OU TEDx conference symbolizes the spread of, well, ideas worth spreading and I am happy to be a part of it.

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Allandra Bulger

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I graduated from O.U in 2008 with a master’s degree in Public Administration specializing in Nonprofit Organization and Management.  I am currently serving as a fellow with the Detroit Revitalization Fellowship Program through Wayne State University.  I also perform as a hip hop artist under the moniker “Insite The Riot”, which means to incite a revolution in our thinking. The music I create is a call to action for the listener to overcome limited thinking, persevere and expand self-awareness. I believe music can be a tool for personal development and growth. 

Can you give us sneak preview into what you’ll be talking about for the conference?

I will actually be performing at the conference. My performance will be framed around using our authentic voice. My work seeks to impact the audiences’ perceptions of our individual and collective worth and potential. In a nutshell, the primary message I am conveying is to know yourself, love yourself and let your light shine.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Inspiration”. What inspires you?

I draw inspiration from the resilience of the individual and collective human spirit. I find inspiration in the history of my ancestors, the stories of my community, the unapologetic fight against injustice, human imperfection, spiritual evolution, the exotic and the mundane. 

What does speaking at OU’s first TEDx conference mean to you?

Speaking and performing at OU’s first TEDX conference is truly an honor. The fact that the event is locally organized adds a unique dynamic and experience. I am excited to return to my alma mater as a participant. I’m also looking forward to experiencing the other speakers as well.

Barbara Oakley

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.  

I’m a professor of engineering, but I grew from a very unlikely background of loving language and culture.  For example, I used to work as a Russian translator aboard Soviet trawlers in the Bering Sea. Also, I have a major book coming out from Tarcher-Penguin this summer on how to learn effectively, and I’m doing a MOOC for Coursera through UC San Diego on the topic, working with one of the country’s leading neuroscientists, legendary Terrence Sejnovski.

Can you give us a sneak preview into what you’ll be talking about for the conference? 

After having many adventures—going from private to captain in the Army, working at the South Pole Station in Antarctica, and of course, for the Soviets, I began to realize that there was as much or more adventure possible if I explored within.  That’s why I began studying math and science, and learning in general.  It’s quite strange, actually—learning is so important that we spend the first twelve to sixteen years of our lives in formal educational institutions, yet we rarely learn how to learn.  That’s what I’ll be talking about—how to learn.

The theme of this TEDx conference is “Inspiration”. What inspires you? 

Adventure and new perspectives!  It’s good to follow your passions, but it’s even better to broaden your passions.

What does speaking at OU’s first TEDx conference mean to you?

 I have so much gratitude for the unbelievable amount of work that the organizers have put into making such a terrific event possible.

Although event seating for the performances is sold out, TEDx will also be hosting interactive lab tables outside the room for the public. For more information on TEDx Oakland University, its speakers, or to view a livestream of the event, visit tedxoaklanduniversity.com.