Campus News

TEDxJuniata College Announces Speaker Line-up

(Posted October 16, 2025)

Share this article:

HUNTINGDON, Pa.– In celebration of 150 years of Juniata College, TEDxJuniataCollege will present “Innovations Throughout Time” at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 24, 2025. The event will be livestreamed from Rosenberger Auditorium at the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts, with the link available at juniata.edu/tedxjuniatacollege/.   

Organized by Tia Warrick, director of public health and assistant professor of biology at Juniata, TEDxJuniataCollege brings together an impressive and diverse slate of speakers centered upon a theme honoring Juniata’s legacy of ingenuity. Topics explore transformative ideas across science, culture, health, and humanity, reflecting upon the past 150 years while imagining what innovation means for the next century.   

Speakers include:  

·  Abjana Bhandari ’27: A junior at Juniata, originally from Nepal, Bhandari blends global insight with community engagement in her roles across campus and as a Juniata Associate, believing that innovation begins with understanding and care. She will present “Innovation Isn’t What You Think.”  

·  Eric Quallen: Director of the Raystown Field Station, a Coast Guard veteran, and former wilderness instructor turned ecologist, Quallen’s research focuses on integrating animal behavior and population dynamics to better predict responses to climate change. He will present, “They/Them/He/She/You/Me.”  

·  Em Perago ’26: A senior at Juniata, Perago is the owner and founder of Robin’s Gourmet Food, LLC, a small business focused on providing high-quality food mixes to domestic rodents like hamsters and gerbils. They will present, “No, Your Small Business Idea Isn’t Dumb.”  

·  James Latten: Professor of music, director of instrumental music, and director of the College Wind Symphony at Juniata, Latten instructs academic music courses, including a team-taught Musical Acoustics course with the Physics Department. He will present, “1876-Onward, Tech Innovations in Capturing and Disseminating Popular Music.”  

·  Robb Lauzon: Assistant professor of communication at Juniata, Lauzon studies the way ideas are created, stored, and transmitted, bridging rhetoric, media ecology, and the ancient art of memory to examine how technologies shape stories about individuals and their communities. He will present “Homo Lectio–The Reading Human.”  

·  Alexander Ross ’26: A senior at Juniata, Ross explores how storytelling can depict mortality, fear, and trauma. His academic work is informed by his experiences working with aging populations, witnessing the emotional and cultural aspects of death firsthand. He will present, “To Die and Do it Well–Human Composting.”  

·  Tia Warrick: Director of public health and assistant professor of biology at Juniata, Warrick has worked across academia, biotech, and nonprofit sectors to design inclusive, data-informed health solutions. She will present, “Not All Solutions Come in Shiny Packages.”  

·  Kyle Jaquess: Assistant professor of psychology at Juniata, Jaquess teaches courses in psychology, neuroscience, and kinesiology and leads the Cognitive Affective Motor (CAM) Lab on campus. He will present, “I Think, Therefore I Am ... But What is Thought?”  

·  Talia Haller: A bioinformatics graduate at Johns Hopkins University, Haller has led AI initiatives for the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us program and advises organizations across the healthcare ecosystem. She will present, “Your body has a lot to say. Are you listening? Precision care that finds you–powered by your body’s unique signals.”   

·  Regina Lamendella: George ’75 and Cynthia ’76 Professor of Biological Sciences at Juniata, Lamendella is an expert in molecular microbial ecology and bioinformatics whose research focuses on how microbial communities impact human and environmental health. She will present, “Feeding the Forgotten: Reviving Ancient Diets to Heal the Gut-Brain Connection.”  

·  Nicole Close ’92: President of EmpiriStat, Inc., and a trustee at Juniata, Close is a globally recognized biostatistician and clinical trial strategist with over 30 years of experience across pharma, biotech, government, and academia. She will present, “What if the Most Powerful Person in Medicine Doesn’t Wear a White Coat?”  

This event is independently produced and operated under a license from TED. TEDxJuniataCollege is aimed at creating a dialogue and providing a forum for people to share their passions, ideas, and experiences.  

About Juniata College Sesquicentennial  

Juniata College, celebrating its 150th anniversary during the 2025–2026 academic year, has a long tradition of education, integrity, and service. Founded in 1876 as Huntingdon Normal School by Andrew B. Brumbaugh and his cousins, the College has grown from a single classroom above a printshop to a vibrant campus preparing students for lives of leadership, purpose, and meaningful impact. The sesquicentennial year features a range of commemorative events, including lectures, performances, exhibits, and special programs, highlighting Juniata’s history and vision for the future. Learn more at www.juniata.edu.  

About TEDx, x = independently organized event  In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and  live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED  Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.) 

About TED 

TED is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.  

TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, but today it spans a multitude of worldwide communities and initiatives exploring everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues. In addition to the TED Talks curated from our annual conferences and published on TED.com, we produce original podcasts, short video series, animated educational lessons (TED-Ed) and TV programs that are translated into more than 100 languages and distributed via partnerships around the world. Each year, thousands of independently run TEDx events bring people together to share ideas and bridge divides in communities on every continent. Through the Audacious Project, TED has helped catalyze more than $3 billion in funding for projects that seek to make the world more beautiful, sustainable and just. In 2020, TED launched Countdown, an initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and mobilize a movement for a net-zero future, and in 2023 TED launched TED Democracy to spark a new kind of conversation focused on realistic pathways towards a more vibrant and equitable future. View a full list of TED’s many programs and initiatives. 

Follow TED on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X. 

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.