TEDxAlfred University

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TEDx
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About Our TEDx

TEDxAlfredUniversity brings together innovative thinkers, creators, and community leaders for a day of inspiring talks designed to spark curiosity and ignite meaningful conversations. Hosted on the Alfred University campus, this independently organized TEDx event will take place on March 27, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Holmes Auditorium, showcasing the bold ideas, research, and real‑world impact emerging from our students, faculty, alumni, and partners. With a focus on creativity, interdisciplinary learning, and the transformative power of education, TEDxAlfredUniversity invites attendees to explore new perspectives and engage in forward‑thinking dialogue that reflects the university’s commitment to intellectual exploration and global citizenship.

An RSVP is recommended but not required. Follow TEDxAlfred University on Instagram for updates.

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Schedule

Each speaker will be presenting for 12 minutes each with a 2 minute transition. There are two 10-minute breaks. A reception will follow the end of the event.

TEDx Schedule
Talk	Speaker
Opening Remarks	Peter Cuneo
Multipotentiality Is Not Confusion: How Being ‘Too Many Things’ Became My Spark	Keshell Scipio
Turning Pain into Purpose	Claire Lander
Reimagining Cemeteries as Open-Air Museums	Danielle Gagne
The Center of the World is Wherever You Are	Marilu Marcillo
Break	N/A
Beyond the Finish Line: How Purpose Outlasts Performance	Angie Taylor
Relearning Yourself	Brian Ngatunga
How Does It Feel to Be You?	Lynn Petrillo
The Practice of Inactive Composition	Matis Homar
Break	N/A
The Power of Mentorship	Caroline Burgos
Brains, Hearts, Nerves, Oh My! Illuminating My Yellow Brick Road Through Grief, Science and Change	Hannah Gruner
Belief is Built in the In-Between	Matthew Bittel
Forget Passion. Start Practicing Purpose	Yuliia Koreiba

Meet Our Speakers

This year's speakers for TEDx include a variety of Alfred University students, faculty, and alumni. Read more about our line-up!

Keshell Scipio

Keshell Scipio is a Customer Success Manager at Zauben, a sustainability-focused startup at the intersection of design and workplace experience. She previously spent over five years in the entertainment and experiential marketing industry, working on large-scale activations & television for brands including Adidas, Jordan, the Envsn Festival, the Brooklyn Museum, and TLC Network. An alumna of Alfred University, Keshell has a deep legacy of campus leadership as the regenerative founder of AUTV, a leader in Sister Circle and Media Hub, student manager at Sherly’s Closet, and a former Student Director of Communications in the Dean’s Office. Alongside her professional work, she teaches students about aeroponic systems and sustainable agriculture, blending education with impact. Her TEDx talk, “Multipotentiality Is Not Confusion: How Being ‘Too Many Things’ Became My Spark,” explores how embracing multiple passions can become a source of clarity and power. Keshell is most excited to reconnect with the Alfred community, build meaningful connections during and after the event, and engage with students whose own stories are reflected in her journey.

Claire Lander

Claire Lander is a senior at Alfred University studying Early Childhood and Childhood Education with a concentration in psychology. She is on the Alfred University Women's Tennis Team, which has been a really meaningful part of her college experience. During her final semester, she will be student-teaching in a 4th-grade classroom at the Alfred-Almond Central School District. Her TEDx talk, Finding Your Spark: Turning Pain into Purpose, focuses on how childhood adversity and protective experiences shape resilience and healing. She is passionate about mental health and becoming the kind of educator who helps children feel seen, safe, and supported. She is excited to share her story and be part of an event that celebrates growth and purpose.

Danielle Gagne

Dr. Danielle Gagne has been a member of the Psychology Division at Alfred University since 2004. What began as a professional opportunity quickly became a true home as she embraced both the campus and community. In her TED Talk on gravestone symbolism, she invites audiences to see cemeteries as “living museums,” where carved images—such as clasped hands and broken columns—quietly tell stories of love, loss, faith, and identity. Through these enduring symbols, she reveals how cemeteries preserve a rich historical record of societal values, cultural traditions, and personal legacies across generations.

Marilu Marcillo

Dr. Marilú Marcillo is the Dean of the School of Business & Information Sciences at Felician University, where she stands as the only Latina Business Dean of a Business & Information Sciences school in New Jersey. A proud first-generation graduate of Alfred University (class of '90), she leverages a 20-year corporate career across corporate leadership at companies like 3M and ADP and nearly 20-year higher ed. career to champion economically sustainable companies and student equity. Her talk, "The Center of the World is Wherever You Are," is born from her own defining moment of resilience at Alfred—shifting from a victim of circumstance to the architect of her own success. This message is deeply personal to Dr. Marcillo, as she seeks to show students that their mindset is their greatest asset when navigating the inflection points of life and career. She is thrilled to return to AU to empower both traditional and adult learners to reframe their present as the foundation for a collaborative, successful future.

Angie Taylor

Dr. Angie Taylor is the Chief Inclusivity Officer at Alfred University and a globally respected leader in track and field. She previously served as High Performance Director for Nigeria, where she worked under two Nigerian Presidents, before leaving that role to become the Head Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Coach at Alfred University. Dr. Taylor has also served as Head Coach for USA Track & Field, held leadership roles at Harbin Engineering University in China, and worked in the Athletic Department at Louisiana State University. She additionally served as Head Women’s Athletics Coach at George Mason University and Assistant Coach at Princeton University. She currently serves as an Independent Board Member for USA Wrestling, bringing a global perspective on high performance, leadership, and inclusivity across sport.

Brian Ngatunga

Brian Linus Ngatunga is a class of 2024 alum of Alfred University, where he earned a degree in Business Analytics with a minor in Marketing and was honored with the Marlin Miller Outstanding Senior Award. Now based in Columbus, Ohio, Brian works as a Data Analyst for NSG Group, a global glass manufacturing company. In his talk, Brian will explore and discuss how foreign nationals navigate identity, belonging, and cultural dissonance in new environments. He is excited to return to campus and mindfully share with the audience his personal journey of seeking joy, authenticity, and self-acceptance and how that journey continues to help him find his spark and inspire others to find theirs.

Lynn Petrillo

Lynn Petrillo is a Clinical Assistant Professor of English at Alfred University, wife of Joseph, Mother of Julian, and adopted mom to a couple of cats. The title of her talk is “How Does it Feel to Be You?” where she will speak about how her students have been answering this question for her for over thirty years — and about how people who are seeking their own spark can use the questions they ask themselves to guide them to their light, and shine. She has been listening to TED talks for at least a decade, so to make her own contribution is an amazing experience. Her talk is a thank you note, or a love letter, to her AU students.

Matias Homar

Matías Homar is a composer, guitarist, and creator of interactive musical instruments working at the intersection of sound, technology, and performance. He is a Visiting Professor of Sound Studies in the Performing Arts Division at Alfred University, where he teaches and develops experimental approaches to listening and making. His music and installations have been presented internationally by ensembles and festivals in contemporary and experimental music. A central focus of his work is the design of human-centered interactive instruments that translate movement, gesture, and space into sound. Through collaborations with dancers, students, and diverse communities, his practice explores technology as a means for connection, creativity, and shared experience.

Hannah Gruner

Hannah Gruner is a newly arrived Assistant Professor in the Biology Division at Alfred University. She will share her personal and academic journey, exploring why it is important for everyone to find their own road in life. She will discuss the loss of her uncle to brain cancer, who was like a father to her, and how his passing eventually motivated her to be the first in her family to pursue a college education. She will also reflect on what it was like to be a first-generation college student at 16, pursuing a degree in neuroscience without a clue about science. She will relate the themes of her journey to the lessons in "The Wizard of Oz," highlighting the parallels between her current research on the biology of brains, hearts, and nerves, and the heartfelt allegorical elements of the story. Overall, she hopes to share a quirky, whimsical view of finding our own “yellow brick road” in life while honestly examining the challenges we all face.

Caroline Burgos

Caroline Burgos is the Assistant Director of Reunions and Affinity Chapters at Fordham University, where she focuses on building experiences that contribute to the lifelong memories of Fordham alumni. She is a proud Alfred University alumna, earning her B.A. in Political Science and Global Studies in 2019 while competing as a four-year distance swimmer, followed by an MBA in 2020 after serving as a graduate assistant in Alfred’s Advancement Office. Caroline continued working within Alfred University Advancement through early 2022 before returning home to New Jersey to join Fordham University's DAUR. She has spent the past four years here and earned her second master’s degree in Humanitarian Studies in early 2025. Her TEDxAlfred University talk explores the spark of mentorship and how strong those relationships can shape the future both personally and professionally. Caroline’s passion for this topic is deeply personal as she found her own mentor at Alfred University, someone who helped her build the future she gets to live today. She is excited to return to Alfred for TEDx as a way to honor the place and people who helped her pave her way.

Matthew Bittel

Matthew Bittel is a ceramic engineering senior at Alfred University, where he works as a materials science intern at Lockheed Martin researching piezoelectric ceramics for sonar applications. He founded and leads the Mug Drop Club, which grew from a conversation in his apartment to a 70-member organization that bridges Alfred's art and engineering schools. Matthew also co-founded DeCayse, a sustainable phone case startup that won $5K in funding by reimagining how we think about product lifecycles. His talk explores his journey and how he discovered his passions throughout his time at Alfred; it also reflects on some of the journeys of those around him. What excites him most about this event is the chance to challenge Alfred students to build something that didn't exist before they arrived and to show them they're already capable of it.

Yuliia Koreiba

Yuliia Koreiba is an alumna of Alfred University, where she studied Business Analytics with minors in Marketing and Economics and first learned how powerful it is to turn big questions into real action. Now, as an MSBA student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she focuses on using data to guide better decisions and build more human-centered organizations. Along the way, from seasons of burnout and questioning everything to rebuilding her life around purpose and work that actually lights her up, she has realized that most important are not the answers we find, but in who we become while we are searching. Her talk, “Forget Passion. Start Practicing Purpose," explores the idea that purpose isn’t a single moment you stumble into, but something you slowly build through consistent, intentional choices, even when you don't feel like you belong or “good enough.”