Shannon Cason starts off his talk by asserting his profession as a storyteller - through his colorful life experiences, he asserts the power of what makes a recollection more personal and impactful. 

In the face of tragedy, Rebecca Brunk gathered her understandings and surroundings and channeled them into a passion for writing, creating, and gathering strength. She shares her journey and thought process on the TEDxMSU stage. 

How do we truly empower students to overcome adversity and ride the academic, personal, and interpersonal storms they may pass through - especially in today's racially charged landscape? MSU professor Dorinda Carter Andrews shares her research, thoughts, and message for directed, impactful change within our educational system. 

When it comes to finding a partner, what really delivers? Biologist Emily Weigel presents her work in sexual selection and draws parallels to how we might be able to learn about romance from the simple fish, the threespine stickleback.
 

What can engaging with music teach us about the strength of human connection? In this interactive talk, John draws on a personal story to illustrate his experiences with music therapy. 
 

Apryl Pooley shares her story through mental illness and how she rediscovered her passion for learning, teaching, and sharing. 
 

MSU astrophysics professor Hendrik Schatz ties together these seemingly disparate words into a fascinating explanation of the smallest elements within the world around us. 

MSU student Sariah Metcalfe offers a challenging original spoken word piece: is the landscape we live in truly free? 

We live among a host of broken systems - one of these, as Austin Martin points out, is the circular structure of incarceration. Through his work, Austin explains what is fundamentally missing from this system and how we, as individuals and communities, can contribute. 
 

Michigan State University is home to one of the largest international student populations in the nation. With his unique perspective as a Chinese international student, Aiden Wang breaks down misconceptions and stereotypes that surround some students' situations. 
 

Scientists search for that defining "Aha!" moment - and MSU professor David Kaufman's came about as a result of his commitment to understanding a degenerative disease as well as accepting both the ordinary and unorthodox throughout his career.
 

In this moving and rooted talk, MSU alum Young Yi shares how he lived through a deadly chronic disease - and the simple, but essential, personal truths he drew from his experience.