From groundbreaking science to frontier education, Uncharted is an invitation to envision the world as it could be, not just as it is.
Join Us on February 20th
at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts at 7 PM
Register below. Pay what you can.
Videos and Event Info
2026 Speakers
WAIKINYA CLANTON, J.S., is a fourth generation Mississippian and first-ever State Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center. As she works on pressing issues in Mississippi, Clanton prioritizes collaboration and focuses on building coalitions among grassroots organizations, legislators, and community leaders. Her strategic vision aims to empower local communities, ensuring they have the necessary tools and resources to advocate for themselves. Clanton is the creator of the ANCHORED framework: a systematic approach for people to engage in civic life that prioritizes rootedness over recognition, co-creation over charity, and sustained commitment over viral moments. Clanton’s work has earned numerous accolades, including the Judge Constance Slaughter Harvey Champion Award and being named one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Women in Business. In 2022, she was selected as one of The Root’s 100 Most Influential African Americans, highlighting her role as a transformative figure in her community.
MARK DYSINGER is a research scientist at a company that develops therapies for rare disease patients, while taking issue with the label “rare.” Dysinger believes that labeling a disease as rare diminishes it to a medical curiosity, resulting in delayed diagnosis for patients. Mark has over 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry and holds a Master of Science degree in biotechnology from the University of Maryland University College and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Maine. As a rare disease patient himself, Dysinger’s duality as researcher and patient provides him with a unique perspective.
TESS LEFMANN, PhD, MSW, is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Mississippi. Her teaching and community work focus on the intersection of physiological stress, social determinants of health, and equity. With experience in maternal and child health initiatives across Mississippi, she is committed to preparing future social workers to foster systemic and individual well-being. Her research in epigenetics explores how stress serves as a biological link between our environments and our lifelong health. Lefmann believes that understanding stress this way reshapes how we think about health and wellbeing, not simply as personal achievements, but as reflections of the environments we share.
SAMANTHA LOWRIMORE, known as CyberSamantha, is an ethical hacker, entropy advocate, founder of PostQuantSec.io, and one of the first recognized quantum hackers working to secure life beyond Earth and the quantum horizon. A cybersecurity engineer, her work begins with quantum-era security and extends beyond, spanning quantum cybersecurity, AI, blockchain, satellites, and interplanetary computing. She is helping to build the foundations that will safeguard the next generation of human and machine intelligence across worlds. Through her research and pioneering Lowrimore Approach to Quantum Migration, she is redefining how global leaders understand security, resilience, and ethics at the edge of the expanding digital frontier.
DANIA TAMIMI, BDS, DMSc, graduated with a dental degree from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She trained at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and earned a Doctorate of Medical Science (DMSc) and certificate of fellowship in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology in 2005. Tamimi is concerned about the growing anti-science sentiment that has specifically targeted dental X-rays. While most people accept other forms of medical imaging without question, dental X-rays have become uniquely stigmatized despite involving less radiation. She explores the psychological and social factors behind this resistance, including the perception of dentists as less legitimate healthcare providers. As well as running a private practice, Tamimi serves as a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (ABOMR). She is a reviewer and an Editorial Board member in several distinguished journals in both the medical and dental fields, as well as an author of three textbooks.
MARC WATKINS directs the AI Institute for Teachers and is an Assistant Director of Academic Innovation at the University of Mississippi, where he is a Lecturer in Writing and Rhetoric. His work with generative AI in education predates ChatGPT and he advocates approaching the technology’s integration in education with curious skepticism. When training faculty in applied artificial intelligence, he believes educators should be equally supported if they choose to work with AI or include friction to curb AI’s influence on student learning. The Washington Post has profiled his work, and he writes about AI and education on his Substack Rhetorica. Watkins has spoken to colleges, universities, and private organizations across the globe. He has also worked with K-12 schools on AI literacy efforts. As an educator, his work with Open Educational Resources was recognized by Blackboard with a 2018 Catalyst Award for Teaching and Learning.
ROBERT WELCH, PharmD, is the Director of the National Center for Cannabis Research and Education (NCCRE) at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Welch directs the NCCRE in the following areas: serving as a clearinghouse for cannabinoid science information, spearheading research initiatives with external partners via grant proposals, conducting real world evidence and patient outcomes studies, examining drug-drug interactions of cannabinoid products with pharmaceutical products, and developing novel cannabinoid drugs for commercialization. Recently, the NCCRE has formed a new and unique partnership with the Mississippi Department of Health, the agency overseeing the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program. Previously, he worked for six years in clinical drug development for GW Pharmaceuticals on cannabidiol oral solution (EpidiolexÒ), which is the first and only plant-based cannabinoid product approved by the FDA for patients with severe, refractory epilepsy syndromes.
Congratulations to Samantha Lowrimore!
Lowrimore’s talk has been selected as an editor’s pick on the official TEDx YouTube channel. Because of this honor, her video’s publication will be delayed. We’ll post it here as soon as it’s available!
Mark Dysinger
Rare things are often highly valued, but when it comes to rare diseases the label may have the opposite effect. Mark Dysinger challenges our understanding of rare diseases and encourages more effective support for the people living with them.
MARK DYSINGER is a research scientist at a company that develops therapies for rare disease patients, while taking issue with the label “rare.” Dysinger believes that labeling a disease as rare diminishes it to a medical curiosity, resulting in delayed diagnosis for patients. Mark has over 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry and holds a Master of Science degree in biotechnology from the University of Maryland University College and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Maine. As a rare disease patient himself, Dysinger’s duality as researcher and patient provides him with a unique perspective.
Waikinya Clanton
What might happen if we create a NOW generation that is defined by action instead of age? Harkening back to the civil rights era of the 1950s and 60s, Clanton shows how movements are multiplying and changing. But they all have one thing in common—committed people refusing to let hate maintain power.
WAIKINYA CLANTON, J.S., is a seventh generation Mississippian and first-ever State Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center. As she works on pressing issues in Mississippi, Clanton prioritizes collaboration and focuses on building coalitions among grassroots organizations, legislators, and community leaders. Her strategic vision aims to empower local communities, ensuring they have the necessary tools and resources to advocate for themselves. Clanton is the creator of the ANCHRD framework: a systematic approach for people to engage in civic life that prioritizes rootedness over recognition, co-creation over charity, and sustained commitment over viral moments. Clanton’s work has earned numerous accolades, including the Judge Constance Slaughter Harvey Champion Award and being named one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Women in Business. In 2022, she was selected as one of The Root’s 100 Most Influential African Americans.
Mark Watkins
When productivity and efficiency drive student assessment in education, are we winning or losing? Mark Watkins calls on educators, administrators, and students to reflect on AI’s impact and create stronger guidelines to unlock benefits while managing potential harms.
WATKINS directs the AI Institute for Teachers and is an Assistant Director of Academic Innovation at the University of Mississippi, where he is a Lecturer in Writing and Rhetoric. His work with generative AI in education predates ChatGPT and he advocates approaching the technology’s integration in education with curiosity and skepticism. The Washington Post has profiled his work, and he writes about AI and education on his Substack Rhetorica. Watkins has spoken to colleges, universities, and private organizations across the globe. He has also worked with K-12 schools on AI literacy efforts. As an educator, his work with Open Educational Resources was recognized by Blackboard with a 2018 Catalyst Award for Teaching and Learning.
Dania Tamimi
Is medical imaging exposing you to harmful amounts of radiation? A radiologist provides guidance on how to reap the benefits of imaging while reducing exposure.
DANIA TAMIMI, BDS, DMSc, graduated with a dental degree from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She trained at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and earned a Doctorate of Medical Science (DMSc) and certificate of fellowship in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology in 2005. In addition to running a private practice, Tamimi serves as a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (ABOMR). She is a reviewer and an Editorial Board member of several distinguished journals in both the medical and dental fields, as well as an author of three textbooks.
Ole Miss Jazz
The Mississippians, a big band jazz group, is one of the oldest college jazz ensembles in the nation, currently under the direction of Dr. Michael Worthy. But Ole Miss Jazz also has small jazz combos and a Latin Jazz group! These students know how to swing.
Daylan Flowers – Emcee
Flowers is a podcaster, writer, and photographer from Little Rock, AR. He is on schedule to graduate from UM’s School of Journalism in May. He covers Ole Miss athletics for the Rebel Walk, hosts his own podcast, The Daylan Show and writes for Locked ON Ole Miss, the number one Ole Miss sports podcast in the country.
Autumn Wittebort
Celebrating ideas expressed through art
Her Name is Sharbat Gula
4′ x 4′ | Acrylic on canvas
Her Name is Sharbat Gula explores the uncharted female experience of being seen without being known. Sharbat Gula became globally recognizable as the “Afghan Girl” through a photograph taken of her by a male photographer for National Geographic, while her name, identity, and the harm caused by that exposure were ignored. The bubble wrap interrupts the gaze, acting as both protection and a critique.
Why Would Venus Be Sleeping?
2′ x 3′ | Oil on panel
Why Would Venus Be Sleeping? addresses the uncharted female experience of pleasure and sexuality. Historically, female desire has been ignored, feared, or framed as something dangerous, while male sexuality is treated as natural and expected. This work questions that imbalance by centering female pleasure as the subject rather than an object, as her direct stare refuses passivity and demands the viewer to confront their own beliefs and expectations of women.
The Autonomy of Syrinx
3′ x 4′ | Acrylic on canvas
The Autonomy of Syrinx addresses the uncharted female experience within classical myth. These stories are traditionally told through male perspective, where women exist as objects of pursuit rather than subjects with agency. By painting the landscape entirely in pink and removing all figures, the work disrupts that structure. The color forces the viewer to pause and question whose story this space belongs to, re-centering the narrative around Syrinx rather than Pan.
Thursday, 2/19
1 PM: Check in for Courtyard Marriott
2 PM: Speaker/team greet & Ford Center tour
2:30 PM: Mic call and check
3:00 PM: Full Rehearsal
5:00 PM: Speaker/sponsor dinner
Friday 2/20
10:00 AM-3:00 PM: Brush-up rehearsals, as needed
6:00 PM: Speaker arrival
7:00 PM: Event
9:30 PM: TEDxChat with speakers
