Brian Kinghorn, PhD – Organizer
Brian Kinghorn, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundations at Marshall University and has been the lead organizer and licensee for TEDxMarshallU since the program began in 2018. He is also the Director of the National Youth Science Camp. He earned his PhD in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology from Michigan State University in 2013. Dr. Kinghorn teaches courses in child development, educational psychology, science for elementary teachers, and the psychology of social media. He has also conducted inquiry-based extra-curricular science programs and science assemblies and conducted both formal and informal teacher professional development since 2002. Dr. Kinghorn’s areas of research include ways teachers learn science from their own teaching practice, methods for effective teaching, and the psychology of social media. His family is very important to him. Dr. Kinghorn and his wife Leah are happily married with eight children. Of all his accomplishments he’s most proud to be a husband and father.
Bex Law – Student Co-Organizer/Executive Producer
Bex is a proud daughter of Marshall majoring in Multimedia Journalism and minoring in Music, and Gender and Women’s Studies. She is in what she is calling her “upperclassmen era.” Though she graduates in the Spring of 2024, she plans on staying a student forever. Bex hopes to attend graduate school, seminary, and law school. At Marshall, she serves as the Social Media Manager for WMUL 88.1FM The Cutting Edge, as well as the music leader for Marshall UKIRK, the Presbyterian campus ministry. Outside of Marshall, Bex enjoys live theater, reading novels written by her best friend, comedy, and getting dinner with friends.
Darshan Sangani – Student Co-Organizer/Event Manager
Darshan Sangani is currently a junior at Marshall University, majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistry, Pre-Professional Studies, and Mathematics. Darshan is from Charleston, WV. He currently does organic chemistry research with Dr. Markiewicz and is a member of MedLife and College Democrats. Darshan’s passion is using policy to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare for everyone and using the knowledge of medicine to improve the people’s health on a macro-scale.
In his free time, Darshan enjoys watching sports, traveling, and spending time with family. This is Darshan’s first year with TEDx.
Alexis Campbell – Curation Coordinator
Alexis is a junior double-majoring in Pre-Secondary Education and History. He currently works for the Marshall FAM program serving sophomores, helping them in any of their needs in college. He loves gardening and animals and is passionate about language learning. Alexis is excited for this opportunity to serve as the curation coordinator for TEDx and cannot wait to contribute in this way to his community here at Marshall.
Bella Schrader – Marketing/Communications Coordinator
Bella Schrader is currently a junior at Marshall University, double majoring in Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Management/Technology, with minors in Engineering Sciences, Marketing and Finance. Bella grew up in Huntington, WV, and currently works as an intern for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Lewis College of Business, as well as a Sustainability Fellow for Marshall. Bella’s passion is to ultimately strive to better the lives of others by working with both the biotech industry as well as addressing environmental and sustainability concerns using business and design thinking.
Bella is a Social Media Ambassador for Marshall, and in her free time enjoys traveling, theater, and going to concerts. She has been a part of Marshall University’s TEDx program for the past two years.
Tennia Dennis – Marketing/Communications Assistant
Tennia is a sophomore majoring in Digital Marketing and minoring in Web Development. She work-studies for Marshall’s Upward Bound and assists at a lawyers office. In her free time she likes to go to concerts, travel, and get involved. She also does public relations for Black United Students. Tennia decided to get involved with TEDx to understand and broaden her community knowledge and is excited to assist in marketing for the program.
Kyleigh Hoey – Designer
Kyleigh is from Huntington West Virginia, and she is a Freshman at Marshall University. Kyleigh is currently majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Anthropology. She is a student who loves academic and intellectual challenges as much as artistic ones. Kyleigh has a passion for mixing science and art in an unlikely but interesting combination. Another interest of hers is helping others, Kyleigh completed her high school capstone project, “300 Lives”, this past April. Kyleigh and her partner organized a Save a Life Day with the goal of distributing 300 doses of Narcan, the overdose reversal drug, in one weekend. In her spare time, Kyleigh likes to cook, draw, hike, and volunteer around Huntington and Marshall’s campus .
Gabriella Sevilla – Audio/Video Production
Gabriella is currently a Freshman at Marshall University, majoring in Video Production and minoring in Psychology. She has always enjoyed taking pictures and putting together videos. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, drawing, and reading. This is her first year with #TEDxMarshallU.
Ben Eng, PhD – Faculty Mentor
Ben Eng is an Assistant Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Marshall University’s Lewis College of Business. He is also the executive director and co-founder of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (iCenter). Eng teaches marketing and entrepreneurship courses at a variety of levels. In 2018, Eng won the Pickens-Queen Teacher Award for his teaching achievements as a newer faculty member.
A native of Huntington, WV, Eng maintains strong ties to the local community. He learned the importance of business, marketing, and entrepreneurship from his parents who owned and operated a local Chinese restaurant named Ming’s Restaurant for over 30 years. He serves on the board of directors at the Developmental Therapy Center and is an avid supporter of his high school alma mater, St. Joseph Central High School in downtown Huntington.
Matt James – Staff Mentor
Matt James is a native of Bluefield, West Virginia. He graduated from Marshall University with a bachelors degree in biology (with minors in chemistry and political science). He continued his graduate education at Marshall, earning his masters degree in counseling in 2011. Matt assumed his current position as Executive Director of Alumni Relations in September 2022.
In closing, Matt James is committed to a lifelong career serving the Sons & Daughters of Marshall University. He said, “serving on the annual TEDxMarshallU planning team since its culmination has been an honor and privilege.” He and his wife, Sara, reside happily in Huntington with their new born daughter Saylor, and two wiener dog sons, Chip & Charlie.
Chris Ingersoll – Faculty Mentor
Chris Ingersoll is an Associate professor with a background that includes more than twenty years as an advertising and publications designer. She completed an MFA at Stephen F. Austin State University with a focus on touch screen technology, and an MA in Advertising and Design from Syracuse University directed at the study of historic foundations in design and how design transforms through progressive technology.
Crystal Stewart – Staff Mentor
Crystal Stewart is the Interim Manager of Information Services and Client Engagement for Information Technology at Marshall University. Crystal is a native of Huntington and still resides there with her two fur babies, cats Leo and Luna. Ms. Stewart attended Marshall University and received her B.B.A. in Accounting in 1998 and an M.S. in Adult and Technical Education in 2017.
Ms. Stewart is passionate about helping students succeed at the university and after graduation by using their technology resources or enhancing their leadership skills. She has taught undergraduate Marketing courses as an adjunct professor since Fall 2017 and has been involved in the WOW program committees, UNI 100, and peer mentor programs for nearly ten years. She was a John Marshall Leadership Fellow in 2021 and worked with fellow team members to complete their “Town and Gown” project for the 14th Street West Antiques District. She is part of the Marshall University Brand Ambassadors and Social Media Committee, participates in the Educause IT Communications Community, is a life member and volunteer in Alpha Kappa Psi, the co-ed Professional Business Fraternity, and is an active board member for the local Dress for Success River Cities
Ryan Vance – Staff Audiovisual Coordinator