NEDtalks is a bi-annual event hosted by the Ned McWherter Library where UofM faculty, instructors, and students share recent research in clear and engaging short-form presentations to a nontechnical audience in the spirit of TED Talks. The fall event, NEDtalks, is dedicated to UofM faculty and instructors. The spring event, NEDxStudents, is dedicated to UofM students. The Libraries partner with the Helen Hardin Honors College and the Graduate School for NEDxStudents to present, and a panel of judges selects the best presentation of each day, awarding a monetary prize.
For both NEDtalks and NEDxStudents, speakers present their research, clearly and engagingly, to a lay audience, in no more than 13 minutes. These presentations are intended to celebrate research, hone participants' communication skills, and disseminate research to the public (audience members who are not experts in the fields being presented).
The fall 2025 and spring 2026 dates have not been set.
Best Presentations for NEDxStudents 2025 Research Forum
NEDxStudents 2025 was held on March 26 and 27 in the Ned R. McWherter Library. Fourteen UofM students shared their recent research in 13-minute or shorter presentations in the spirit of TED Talks. Each day featured seven presentations with a 15-minute break mid-way. These events were streamed via YouTube. The highest scoring presentation of each day, as determined by a panel of three judges, will receive a $500 cash prize. Below are the winners for NEDxStudents 2025:
- Graduate Student Category: Liam Chew, Management Information Systems, "Deepfakes and Democracy: The Impact of Deepfakes on Voters’ Trust"
- Undergraduate Student Category: Dallas Meador, Sociology & Earth Science, "Environmental Racism & Its Effects in Memphis, TN: A GIS Exploration"
Each day's presentations were streamed and recorded. You may view the recorded presentations on our YouTube channel. Click on the date below that you want to view.
Thank you to everyone who participated. For a full list of who presented and their topic, please see below.
NEDxStudents Research Forum | March 26 & 27, 2025 | 2-4PM | McWherter Library
Wednesday, March 26: McWherter Library 2nd Floor Commons - Graduate Student Presentations
2:00 Lilian Onianwa, Journalism & Strategic Media, "You Are Not a Sin: A Textual Analysis of LGBTQ+ Experiences in Africa"
2:15 Nischal Kafle, Civil Engineering, "Comparing Methodologies to Detect Trends in Extreme Rainfall Statistics in the Southeastern U.S."
2:30 Liam Chew, Management Information Systems, "Deepfakes and Democracy: The Impact of Deepfakes on Voters’ Trust"
2:45 Break
3:00 Amber Alston, Communication, "You’re Practically One of Us!: Incorporating a Womanist Horror Framework in African American Literature"
3:15 Clarion Harris, Social & Behavioral Sciences, "Grandparent Caregivers, Youth Mental Health & Violence: What the Research Says"
3:30 Hannah-Joy Simms, Experimental Psychology, "Are You Studying the Right Way?: How Students Use (and Misuse) Flashcards"
3:45 Nicole Rodriguez, Music, "Influence of Rafael Trujillo’s Government (1930-1961) in Dominican Classical Music"
Thursday, March 27: McWherter Library 2nd Floor Commons - Undergraduate Student Presentations
2:00 Keeton Brown, History, "Visual Arts from Mexico: The Curatorial Process Behind the Upcoming Exhibition"
2:15 Elizabeth Matlock-Buchanan, Biomedical Engineering, "Tosh Farms Sow Lameness Prevention Project: Using Biomedical Approaches in an Agricultural Setting for Intervention in Culling of Sows Due to Lameness"
2:30 Elaine Mooney, Psychology, "Blind Imagination: Aphantasia and Image-Free Thinking"
2:45 Break
3:00 Mira Umarova, Biological Sciences, "Pheromone Communication Between Ant Larvae and Workers"
3:15 David Adaway, Electrical & Computer Engineering, "Comparison of Two Three-Dimensional Imaging Approaches Used in Fluorescence Microscopy"
3:30 Dallas Meador, Sociology & Earth Science, "Environmental Racism & Its Effects in Memphis, TN: A GIS Exploration"
3:45 Blake Robinson, Chemistry, "The Future of Neurological Medicine: From Scalpels to Precision Therapies"
Information for Presenters Once Selected:
- All presentations are due before 8 a.m. on Monday, March 24, 2025. Email them to nedtalks@memphis.edu.
- We plan to record the presentations and have them on the University Libraries YouTube channel. Please fill out a Model Release Form (giving us the right to record you) and return it to nedtalks@memphis.edu.
- PowerPoints, visual aids, and/or audio aids that enhance the presentation are welcome. PowerPoint and PDF formats are preferred. Your presentation may have as few as one or as many slides as you prefer. Your first slide must state the name of your presentation, your name, and your department or division.
- You may include sound and video files, but if there are technical issues, your time will not be extended.
- Research for the presentation does not need to be published.
- Presenters should plan on speaking for 13 minutes or less. There is minimal lead time between presentations, so each presenter’s 15-minute window includes our introduction of the presenter, the 13-minute or less presentation, and any necessary wrap-up on our end. Use your time well.
- If a presenter finishes early, we will follow the schedule and begin the next presentation at the designated time. Please be ready and flexible.
- Because this event is in the spirit of TED Talks, there will be no Q&A during or after presentations.
- You may want to contact the UofM Center for Writing and Communication for help with your presentation as you prepare.
- On the day of the event:
- A NEDtalks team member will pull up your presentation and have it ready to go at your scheduled presentation time.
- The setup will be a laptop on a podium (with a microphone) beside a large projector screen. A clicker and pointer will be available.
- A laptop with a countdown timer will be in your line of sight to help keep track of time. This is the countdown timer we will use. A NEDtalks team member will also hold up 5-, 3-, and 1-minute warning cards. A bell will sound if a presenter goes over 13 minutes.
- If you want to practice with the equipment, feel free to arrive between 1 and 1:45 p.m. on the day of your presentation to do so.
- Presenters are encouraged to attend the entire time on the day of their presentation to show support for their fellow students.
- The event will be promoted on University social media accounts, and each speaker will be included. Ideally, we'd like to include a professional photo of you. All UofM students may obtain a professional headshot taken through the Career Services Professional Headshot Photo Booth.
- Each day's highest-scoring presenters will be notified at a later date, not on the day of the event. The checks will be issued by the University of Memphis through the Honors College and the Graduate School. Each day's highest-scoring presenter will win a $500 cash prize.
- Questions? Email nedtalks@memphis.edu.
Past NEDtalks Videos
Past talks are available on the University Libraries YouTube channel.
Past NEDtalks and NEDxStudents Events
- NEDxStudents: Undergrads & Grads - March 26 & 27, 2025
- NEDtalks: UofM Faculty & Instructors - October 23 & 24, 2024
- NEDxStudents: Undergrads & Grads - March 13 &14, 2024
- NEDtalks: UofM Faculty & Instructors - November 1 & 2, 2023
- NEDxStudents: Undergrads & Grads - April 5 & 6, 2023
- NEDtalks: UofM Faculty & Instructors - November 9 & 10, 2022
- NEDtalks: UofM Faculty & Instructors - November 13 & 14, 2019
- NEDtalks: UofM Faculty & Instructors - April 17 & 18, 2019
- NEDxStudents: Undergrads & Grads - November 7 & 8, 2018
- NEDtalks: Social Justice - February 21 & 22, 2018
- NEDxStudents: Undergrads & Grads - November 8 & 9, 2017
- NEDtalks: UofM Faculty & Instructors - April 19 & 20, 2017