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Amy Devers 

Faculty, Furniture Design Department

Host of the first-ever TEDxRISD Event

Amy Devers is a podcaster, Emmy Award-winning television personality, designer, fabricator, and educator. A designer/ fabricator of furniture, interiors and fine art, Devers has made a career in media as the host of several television series focused on international design, architecture, original furniture design & build, home improvement, and food. Currently, Devers is Host & Producer of Clever, a podcast that offers a window into the humanity behind design through candid conversations with leading creatives from all disciplines.Devers teaches Furniture Design at RISD and is also a frequent guest critic and lecturer at academic institutions, keynote speaker, and design juror.





Hillel O’ Leary

Faculty, Industrial Design Department


He/They
 Hillel O’Leary is a non-binary, culturally Jewish sculptor, artist, educator, and multidisciplinary designer. Their work centers on a reckoning with the violence of toxic masculinity, the search for safety through camouflage, and the creation of sacred space. In their talk, Hillel will speak about their lifelong journey of unraveling their identity and how they channel that into their artistic practice to create work that guides others to discover and accept their true selves.




Jack Madden 

Alumni, MFA Digital+ Media


He/Him/His
Jack Madden is an astrophysicist and artist working toward humanizing our understanding of the universe through research-based art. Using his experience as a scientist, an EMT, and an artist, Jack researches and creates installations and digital work at the intersection of art, science, and philosophy. In his talk, Jack will unravel his path toward making art and experiences that bridge the gap between unfathomable scientific discovery and genuine human understanding.



Ruchika Nambiar 

Student, MA 2024 Global Arts & Cultures


She/Her/Hers
Ruchika Nambiar is an interdisciplinary artist, designer, writer, and researcher whose work ranges from artist books to graphic novels, and miniature dioramas to writing and academic research. Her work experiments with hybrid and interactive forms of storytelling, creating playful worlds of wonder & whimsy. In her talk, Ruchika will unravel how to use a fluid, interdisciplinary approach to escape the limitations of our discipline and return to our greatest source of magic and empowerment: the ability to create.


Peter Nulton

Faculty, Theory of History, Art & Design


He/Him
 Peter Nulton is an archaeologist working in Classical and Maritime archaeology.  In the decades since completing his Ph.D. at Brown, he has conducted several excavations and research projects in the Mediterranean. Funded by a Fulbright grant, he published a study of the sanctuary of Apollo on the Acropolis of Athens.  He serves on the board of directors of the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, where he is also an instructor, diver and primary investigator. In his talk, he will unpack how a colonial misunderstanding of Plato’s Atlantis parable has fueled division and harmed humanity.




Manini Banerjee 

Student, BFA 2023 Industrial Design


She/Her/Hers
 Manini is a nature and human-centric designer born and brought up in Singapore. Her design practice focuses on integrated robotic design and seeks the commingling of digital and tactile biological media. She imagines a world where technology is more compatible with human life and follows the laws of natural selection. In her talk, Manini will discuss how she strives to find a further symbiosis between genuine and artificial life through bio-hybrid sculptural and robotic research.






Nellie Geraghty

Student, MFA 2024 Illustration


She/Her/Hers
 Nellie Geraghty is an interdisciplinary artist who uses her experience as a farm hand to fuel her creative work. She enjoys ridiculously long walks, laughing until her face hurts, getting up before sunrise and listening to other people’s stories. Currently Nellie is investigating scientific illustration, cyanotype, and silkscreening in the hope that these mediums will  strengthen her artistic practice. In her talk Nellie  will disentangle her own life story and discuss how it has brought her to where she stands today.

 

[Top] Mahnoor Rafi, Michael Farris, Jason Liao, Aanya Arora, Isaiah Aladejob | [Bottom] Juhi Nagpal, Anmol Govinda Rao, Nooriyah Gulamhusein, Nicole Lee | [Not Pictured] Carmen Belmonte Sandoval, Elaine Liu, Li June Choi, Victoria Liang

Photographer: Bartlomiej Saminski



Aanya Arora Co-President and Design & Marketing Team Lead
BArch 2024 | Architecture
Aanya is a senior in Architecture and is a TEDxRISD Co-President as well as the lead of the Design & Marketing Team. Aanya has a passion for bringing people together and creating spaces for RISD community members to voice their thoughts and experiences. During her free time she like’s trying different vegan recipes and skateboarding!

︎ aarora@risd.edu     ︎@aanyaarora
Michael Farris 
Co-President and Operation Team Lead
BArch 2023 | Architecture
Michael is a 5th-year in the Architecture Department and is the Co-President of TEDxRISD, where he leads the Operations Team. During his time at RISD, Michael enjoys venturing outside of the studio for an afternoon run or a long weekend skiing. You can hear more from Michael on the rizdeology podcast - seasons one & two.


︎ mfarri01@risd.edu     ︎@mikeyfarris




Victoria Liang Co-President and Curation Team Lead
BFA 2023 | Industrial Design
Victoria is a senior in Industrial Design and the lead of Curation Team. Victoria is passionate about designing things that will impact others positively. Aside from her main focus in UX design, she loves to make custom bags for herself and others! Outside of studio, Victoria is jamming to French music and on her way to go horseback riding.

︎ vliang02@risd.edu     ︎@vvictorialiang
Juhi NagpalCuration Team
BFA 2025 | Film, Animation and Video
Juhi is a sophomore in FAV and is a part of the curation team in TEDxRISD. Juhi loves watching and talking people's ear off about movies. Her passion in life is animation and she hopes to become a successful animator one day. Outside of RISD, you might catch Juhi embarassing herself at the gym or watching anime in bed.

︎ jnagpal@risd.edu       ︎@juhinagpal5


Na Yong LeeCuration Team
BFA 2024 | Graphic Design

Nicole is a Junior in Graphic Design, and is a member of the curation team in TEDxRISD. Nicole loves visual systems and solving design problems with engaging solutions. In her free time you can find her can find her trying to beat level 4551 in Candy Crush.

︎ nlee05@risd.edu     ︎@nicole.nlee
Nooriyah Gulamhusein Curation Team
BFA 2024 | Interior Architecture

Nooriyah is a Junior in Interior Architectureand a member of the curations team. Nooriyah is particularly interested in adaptive reuse and sustainable architecture for a greener future. Her design explores the interdisciplinary nature of art and architecture to create experiential spaces that serve many functions. Nooriyah also enjoys good weather, swimming and traveling.

︎ ngulamhu@risd.edu     ︎@nooriyahfg


Anmol Govinda Rao Design & Marketing Team
BFA 2023 | Graphic Design
Anmol is a Senior in Graphic Design and a member of the Design & Marketing Team. Anmol has a passion for branding, motion graphics, and typography. In his spare time, Anmol likes to drown himself in coffee and nerd out over art & design tools.

︎ agovinda@risd.edu     ︎@agraaaaao
Jason Liao Design & Marketing Team
BFA 2023 | Industrial Design

Jason Liao is a Senior in Industrial Design and a member of the Design& Marketing team. He specializes in footwear design and soft goods development and obtains heavy interests in graphic design and digital media.

︎ cliao@risd.edu     ︎@3j3a3s3o3n



Li June Choi Design & Marketing Team
BFA 2023 | Graphic Design

Li June is a junior in Graphic Design and part of the Design + Marketing Team. Li June focuses on web-design and brand design, which culminates in motion graphics and 3D posters. Outside of class, you can see her watching movies or anime.

︎ lchoi01@risd.edu     ︎@lij.choi
Mahnoor Rafi Design & Marketing Team
BFA 2023 | Graphic Design

Mahnoor is a senior in Graphic Design and a member of the TEDXRISD marketing team. She loves working with 3D rendering and motion graphics. Her recent interest is in extending digital design to public space, with a focus on human interaction in designed spaces. Outside of class, you'll find her trying to improve her cooking skills.

︎ mrafi@risd.edu    ︎@mahnoorrafi


Yinjia Liu Operation Team
BFA 2025 | Illustration
Yinjia (Elaine) Liu is an undergraduate student at Rhode Island School of Design, pursuing BA in Illustration. She insists that TED is cross-border and conducts in-depth exchanges with people from all walks of life. She joined TED to work on integrating art into all areas of speech and storytelling.

︎ yliu24@risd.edu ︎@elainejia10
Isaiah Aladejobi Operation Team
MFA 2023 | Industrial Design

Isaiah is a 2nd graduate student in Industrial Design and a member of the operations team of TEDxRISD. At RISD, he wishes to learn Industrial Design to help preserve culture with the present resources and create a future where we can shape spaces and objects to open up new dialogue.

︎ ialadejo@risd.edu ︎@pzaycreates