Emeritus Professor and Sophomore Student Scheduled to Speak at TEDxUMD

Verlyn Flieger, Professor Emerita, and Casey Patterson, Sophomore English major, are two of the speakers for the first TEDxUMD this Saturday May 3rd, from 9am to 6pm. Watch the Livestream of the event.  

TEDxUMD is part of the TEDx program, an initiative to spread the vision of TED talks through local, independently organized events. TEDx brings leading minds together in idea-focused events to give talks on a wide range of subjects surrounding that idea hopefully provoking meaningful discussions, inspiration, and further learning. The focal idea for this first UMD-affiliated program is “The Human Experience” where speakers ask and discuss questions on what it means to be human, the difference between living and surviving and questions of human capability and understanding.

Professor Verlyn Fleiger approaches this topic from the standpoint of a Tolkien scholar. She has taught course on Tolkien for over 40 years and is the author of Splintered Light, A Question of Time, and Interrupted Music. You can find her profile on our website.

Casey Patterson, a Sophomore English major and Honors Humanities student, approaches the topic from a humanities perspective built upon his studies at the University of Maryland.

Find out more about this event, including a list of speakers, at the TEDxUMD website.