Adam Booth
Adam Booth (he/him) is the 2022 West Virginia Folk Artist of the Year, awarded at the Governor’s Arts Awards. Adam blends traditional mountain folklore, music, and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia to create original, forward-thinking story artistry. Adam’s new multidisciplinary program The Heron’s Journey has been selected for the 2024-2025 Mid Atlantic Arts Touring Roster. As a nationally touring artist, his professional telling appearances include premiere storytelling events across the United States, including the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the International Storytelling Center, the National Storytelling Festival, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, the National Storytelling Conference, the National Academy of Medicine, and as a Spoken Word Resident at the Banff Centre (Alberta, Canada). He is a member of the Recording Academy and his recordings have received multiple national honors, including a Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Adam serves as the inaugural Storyteller-In-Residence at Shepherd University and is the founding artistic director of Speak Story Series, a premier destination for storytelling in concert.
Evan Green
Evan Green is The Parthenon’s executive editor and a Marshall University student majoring in journalism and psychology. Green is also a member of the Society of Yeager Scholars and the Board of Scholars. Green has been a freelance reporter for several news publications over the last five years, including Scioto County Daily News, The Portsmouth Daily Times, and the Shawnee State Chronicle. He also served as the Field Director for Dr. Sydnee McElroy’s House of Delegates campaign and worked as a summer fellow for the West Virginia Working Families Party. Green is also a member of the Brad D. Smith Student Incubator, where he has launched the start-up company Break Free, a non-profit focused on providing free feminine hygiene products on Marshall’s campus.
Luke Jeffrey
Luke Jeffrey is a junior at Marshall University, majoring in accounting. As an Innovation Intern for Marshall’s iCenter, Social Media Manager for The Parthenon, and Founder and Chair of the Society of Yeager Scholars’ Board of Scholars, Luke actively commits to innovative contributions wherever possible. In the future, he hopes to take this same passion to law school and beyond, helping businesses shape the future and improve people’s lives. In his free time, Luke enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time with animals.
Ed Kinghorn
Dr. Edward W. Kinghorn received a Ph.D. in Experimental Physiological Psychology from Brigham Young University in 1986. He is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology and past Chairman of the Department of Psychology at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He was a Clinical Research Fellow in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Utah, Health Science Center, from 1996 -1998. He is a Licensed Clinical Neuropsychologist in Hawaii, Utah, and Idaho. He recently served as a volunteer Area Mental Health Advisor in Central America for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He has worked as a Disaster Mental Health Specialist with American Red Cross. In addition to a variety of local assignments with the American Red Cross over the years, he served in New York City following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. At BYU Hawaii he served on the University Disaster Task Force. His clinical and research interests include the Neuropsychology of stress, Functional Neuro-imaging (fMRI), and cortical language brain mapping in epilepsy. He and his wife, Lee Anne, have been married for 48 years. They are the parents of eight children and have twenty-two Grandchildren and two Great Grandchildren.
Candace Layne
Candace Layne, EdD, ALPS, LPC is a mother, Licensed Professional Counselor, Approved Licensed Professional Supervisor, and owner of Imagine Counseling Services. Candace is a mental health advocate, enjoys serving the community, and is a self-admitted overachiever that is passionate about life, learning, and people. Candace is from Burlington, Ohio and still resides in the Tri-State area. Candace has 17 years of experience in the fields of mental health, higher education, and teaching as a college professor. Candace has provided breakout sessions at two national conferences and enjoys providing training and learning opportunities in mental health. Candace is certified in Mindfulness, is a Certified Grief-Informed Professional, is trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy, and has a certificate in violence, loss, and trauma. Graduating from Marshall University with BA and MA degrees, Candace bleeds green and loves all Marshall sports. Candace is currently the Director of the Marshall University Counseling Center. Candace loves hard, loves family, and friends, knows no stranger, loves sports, and loves to travel and try new adventures.
Sierra Lutz
Sierra Lutz’s bucket list from when she was ten included: fighting a dragon and giving a TED Talk. Surprisingly, the first was accomplished here at Marshall last year as Agnes in She Kills Monsters. Join her as she knocks another item off the list. Originally from Utah, she is now a junior Yeager Scholar pursuing a biochemistry major and a minor in theatre. If those two things seem incongruent and disconnected, don’t worry, that’s what her talk is all about! Sierra has always been a part of the theatre and feels blessed to have performed in over 25 productions thus far. With science as another constant companion, she’s competed twice at the International Science and Engineering Fair and has been able to present a poster at the annual conference for the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Currently, her efforts in the lab are focused on the tardigrade microbiome, something she’ll happily talk your ear off about. When asked about future plans, her current answer is that she’d like to pursue medical research in some capacity. But most importantly, she would like to thank her support network for getting her here. So, thank you to: Dr. Kinghorn and the TEDx team, Dr. Kolling and her lab mates, Leah Turley and Jack Colclough and the entirety of the theatre department, AXƩ the professional chemistry fraternity, and her loving family; especially her mother Barbara who is the biggest source of encouragement and support in her life. If this were a play, she’d ask you to laugh loud and enjoy the show, but that doesn’t quite work. So, sit up, pay attention, and maybe still laugh loud at those jokes.
Sydnee McElroy
Dr. Sydnee McElroy is is a physician and assistant professor at the Marshall University School of Medicine. The main thrust of her medical work is currently volunteering medical services to people experiencing homelessness.
Jessica Tall
I am Jessica (Jess) Tall, a fourth-year medical student at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. I am from Cleveland, Ohio, and have always been interested in STEM, medicine, and the arts. While I came from a low socioeconomic background, my diverse background as Black and Latina allowed me to navigate many cultural channels which sparked my interest in learning about other cultures and improving interpersonal relationships between various groups. I believe everyone, regardless of background, can share many commonalities. During my time at Emory, I took many courses in medical anthropology which inspired me to major in Anthropology and Human Biology with a minor in Spanish and a passion to approach medicine through a biopsychosocial model. During my time at Joan C`. Edward School of Medicine, I have continued to be a tutor and mentor, through my involvement in Project Pre-med and Fairfield U. Given my own experience with healthcare access, I joined organizations such as my medical school’s multicultural advisory committee (MAC), SNMA, and LSMA, Medical Spanish, and worked with Marshall University Minority Health Institute to promote equity, justice, and education in the medical field. Through my efforts, I have been recognized as Fairfield U’s Mentor of the Year and in 2023 one of the Women of Marshall Award recipients. I plan to continue being an advocate for the pediatric population, by becoming a child neurologist to increase support and advocacy for children suffering from neurological disorders. Additionally, I plan on mentoring children especially those who are underrepresented in medicine through mentorship programs aiding high school students, college students, and pre-medical students on various topics including financial aid, applications, and general advice on the medical field.
Clare Tuffy
Clare Tuffy worked for the Office of Public Works for over 40 years managing visitor services at National Monuments sites in the Boyne Valley in Ireland. She was manager of Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, which is the starting point for all visits to the World Heritage Properties of Newgrange and Knowth. She also managed visitor services at the Hill of Tara, Old Mellifont Abbey, Trim Castle and Loughcrew. Altogether, these sites receive approximately 500,000 visitors annually. She retired in 2022.
Clare has extensive experience in lecturing, teaching, and broadcasting and has written visitor guides to archaeological sites. She has worked with schools to develop educational programmes. Clare continues to work with communities to promote the use and appreciation of the monuments in their local area.
