IdeaFestival Bowling Green 2022
All videos produced by Vid Monster Productions.
Speaker Session 1
Q & A
Speaker Session 2
Q & A
About the Speakers
Dr. J’Tia Hart is a STEM researcher and the chief science officer for national & homeland security
at Idaho National Laboratory. Whether as a 15-year-old college freshman or a contestant
on CBS’s Survivor, J’Tia has always challenged herself. Now she’s turned her attention to igniting
young minds and increasing participation in STEM. She holds a BS from Florida State
University and an MS and PhD in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign. She lives in Chicago with her husband and their two children.
Dr. Tyler Jury is a passionate and driven entrepreneur and, most importantly, a proud husband and
father. Born and raised in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, he attended The Gatton Academy
for Math and Science and was the first in his family to earn a college degree when
he graduated from WKU in 2012. Dr. Jury's professional pursuits include running a
full-time dental practice and co-founding Clayton & Crume, a Louisville lifestyle
brand whose roots began at WKU. He also serves on the board for Bike4Alz, an organization
founded to honor his grandfather's life and the effects Alzheimer's disease had on
his family.
Robbie Lynn Hunsinger had an illustrious career as a classical oboist before becoming a cutting- edge interactive
artist, composer and multimedia performer. Her immersive installations have won a
Best of Year acknowledgement from Burnaway Magazine and been written up in Make Magazine. Her trans-media chamber music and installations include robotics, live projections,
hacked game controllers, and audience participation. She has been funded by Nashville's
Metro Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Puffin Foundation, and the International
Game Design Association. She has taught at several universities and is a regular speaker,
performer, and visiting teaching artist.
Dr. Urooj Yazdani is a physician, a director/producer, and an advocate for girls' education in the
developing world. Raised in Columbia, Kentucky, she is currently a fellow-physician
at the University of Chicago and hopes to use her background in medicine and her experience
in media and advocacy to inspire others to forge their own unique path to success.
Zane Meyer-Thornton is a visual journalist from Los Angeles currently in his senior year at WKU. Before
coming to the hill, he was focused on still photography, but his time here has helped
him realize it's the story that's important, not the medium in which it's told. Post
graduation, he hopes to produce stories on the indigenous people of this land, environmental
issues, and the relationship between substance abuse and mental health. He was chosen
by the Native American Journalists Association as one of its six fellows for 2021
and placed in the top ten in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program in January.
IFBG Activities 2022
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virtual reality with WKU's new XR Lab
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3D printing pens from the WKU Small Business Accelerator
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creating and building with the Warren County Public Library Idea Lab
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technology for those with visual impairment from American Printing House for the Blind
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hands-on biology with Dr. Keith Phillips
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a letterpress from WKU chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design
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mural-painting with artist Andee Rudloff
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computer activities with teacher Jennifer Pemberton
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Speaker Chats with all of the morning's guests
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STEM activities with the Kentucky Science Center
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geology with Professor Margaret Crowder
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creative writing with Scholastic National Student Poet Christian Butterfield
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dance with WKU's National Dance Education Organization
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entrepreneurial lessons fromKentucky’s Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs
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typewriters, letterpress, and stamps from artist Leslie Nichols
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engineering with WKU's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
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art and poetry with WKU's Blaq Art Nouveau
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entrepreneurship with Accelerate Kentucky
- art and music installation by speaker Robbie Lynn Hunsinger
2022 Sponsors
Major Sponsor
The Vid Monster vision is to redefine the consumer's experience, one city at a time, through effective creative content and promotional solutions, and to capture and share the special moments that happen within our community. We are a video production and photography company that focuses on telling stories in new and innovative ways. From small business and corporate, to weddings and special moments, to music videos and documentaries, we can create it all.
Supporting Sponsor
A 5-Star Accredited chamber and the fourth largest chamber in Kentucky, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce serves as a premier business advocate for its more than 1,200 partners and is the driving force for economic development in South Central Kentucky. Its primary goals are to promote growth and success in the business community, reaching its small business partners and those in large industries alike. With leadership programs, governmental relations projects, educational initiatives and involvement opportunities, the Chamber aims to support the community and its neighbors to enhance the business climate and continue to grow the region.
Contributing Sponsor
The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky is a residential program
for bright, highly motivated Kentucky high school students who have demonstrated interest
in pursuing advanced careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Housed on the campus of Western Kentucky University, students take college classes,
engage in faculty-led research, and have the ability to study abroad while living
in a supportive community of like-minded peers.
In short, students in Kentucky can apply for our program during their sophomore year of high school, and if accepted, they will spend their junior and senior year on WKU’s main campus while remaining enrolled in their sending school. Furthermore, the tuition, meals and housing costs for our students are covered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, so any student in the state is eligible to apply if the program meets their interests and abilities.
Interested in learning more about The Gatton Academy’s application process? Visit us at https://www.wku.edu/academy/admissions/instructions/index.php.
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