The Rammy Bench unveiling in Sykes Student Union at West Chester University event happened on March 18, 2026.

As Sykes Student Union celebrates it's 50th Anniversary, watch as alumni and staff reflect on the tremendous history & impact of Sykes' spaces, programs, and people on the WCU community

As Sykes Student Union celebrates it's 50th Anniversary, watch as alumni and staff reflect on the tremendous history & impact of Sykes' spaces, programs, and people on the WCU community

Program: Welcome Remarks and TEDx Introduction Video The Spaces That Save Us - Jessica B. Turner-Skoff, Ph.D. Associate Director, Science Communications, Longwood Gardens Dance: Feminism and the Swan Song - Maria Urrutia Professor of Dance, West Chester University The Power of Working In-Role - David Dannenfelser Lecturer, Theater, Rutgers University Nature, Wonder, and Wonderment: We Are All Called to Become Science Explainers - Oné R. Pagán, Ph.D. Professor of Biology, West Chester University Intermission Skiing with Margot: Frontiers in the Science of Profound Intellectual Disability - Peter Doehring, Ph.D. Founder, Kennett Outdoors / Kennett Ability Network The Art of Costume - Constance Case Professor of Costume Technology and Design, West Chester University Lessons from Ant Colonies on Women and Parenthood in Science - Manuela Ramalho, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biology, West Chester University Calligraphy, Art, and the Human Body - Sakina Zaidi Cell & Molecular Biology (Pre-Med) Student, West Chester University Acknowledgments TEDxWestChesterUniversity is made possible through the generosity and dedication of many individuals across West Chester University. This event was generously supported through the College of the Sciences and Mathematics (CSM) Student and Community Engagement Award (SCEA), which supports initiatives that promote student engagement and strengthen community connections. We offer our deepest thanks to WCU alum Alexandra Gianaris, whose imagination, creativity, and passion for connecting the sciences and the arts inspired the vision for this event and brought it to life. We are grateful to all the speakers, volunteers, production team, and partners whosecontributions made this event possible.West Chester University Support We thank CSM Dean Jessica OShaughnessy and the staff of the College of the Sciences and Mathematics, especially Bridgid Fitzgerald for organizational coordination, Rebecca Grisillo for logistical and purchasing support, and Génesis Rubio for social media and Communications. Production & Technical Support We thank the WCU Digital Media Center and the event production teams, especially Dan Kadushin for video production, and Joshua Browns, Jonathan Lightcap & Thomas Haughey for their expertise in stage management, lighting & audio. Thank you to Yuki Yamamoto and Jeremy Wheeler for their IT support. Speaker Presenters and Art Installation We extend our thanks to our outstanding speaker presenters, Dr. Thomas Kwiatkowski and Dr. Abbie Ganas from the Department of Chemistry, for making this event such a meaningful and engaging experience. We also thank Andrew Snyder, Associate Professor of Art & Design, for the art installation Mark of a Day. Faculty & Student Volunteers We thank the many faculty and student volunteers who supported this event. We extend special thanks to Dr. Sara Holland Levin, faculty advisor for the production team, for her guidance and support. About TEDx: x = independently organized event. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Dr. Jessica Sullivan-Brown, Associate Professor of Biology, is event organizer and TEDxWestChesterUniversity license holder.