TEDx Arcadia University Back for Seventh Edition in 2026
Arcadia University will host TEDx Arcadia University on Monday, April 20, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Commons Meeting Rooms. The event will feature four main speakers, along with student contributors and other TED content.
Gina DiMarco, a trauma-informed speaker and nonprofit consultant; Garreth Heidt, an educational designer and high school teacher; Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai, CEO of Blue Mountain Psychiatry; and Regan Sammons ’23, ’25 MEd, head coach of the Arcadia Field Hockey team, will give a talk on this year’s theme, “Moving Towards More.”
Celeste Walker, an adjunct professor in the Honors Program at Arcadia, is the faculty organizer of the event. She teaches HN395: TEDx Arcadia, a course where she guides students through all that is required to create and host a TEDx event, including brainstorming a multidisciplinary theme for the event, booking speakers and ensuring they are prepared, and marketing the event.
“It allows them to truly lead and make decisions and choices, and work together,” Walker said. “Part of what the Honors Program works towards is leadership, and these students are really good at following through and getting things done.”
Madison Kubicz ’26, a Healthcare Administration major and Spanish minor, is a student in Walker’s class. She has been working with several of the speakers leading up to the event, checking in weekly and keeping them in the loop about ongoing planning. A field hockey player, Kubicz led the charge to have Sammons, her coach, give a talk.
“We played together my freshman year,” Kubicz explained. “She then graduated and became our assistant for two years. Now, she’s stepped up to become our head coach. I felt as if her story truly embodied our theme of Moving Towards More.”
This year’s event will feature fewer speakers than in previous years. Alyssa Montanez ’28, a member of the communications team for TEDx Arcadia University, feels that this will help the group put on a stronger event.
“The shorter format really aligns with our theme of Moving Towards More,” Montanez, a Biochemistry major with a concentration in Pre-Medical studies, said. “It encourages us to be intentional and focus on the ideas that matter most. With the time constraint, each talk has the opportunity to resonate more deeply.
“I hope the audience leaves feeling inspired to take action in their own lives, even in small ways. ‘More’ doesn’t always have to mean something big or overwhelming; it can be about taking the next step, asking new questions, or challenging your way of thinking. If people walk away with one idea that pushes them forward, then I think the event has done its job.
Kubicz agrees, and is excited for attendees to see what she and her classmates have been working on since the beginning of the semester.
“Being a part of something bigger than myself, especially senior year, feels so fulfilling,” she said. “I am hoping our audience feels inspired while walking away from our conference. I want them to feel empowered to continue pushing for more in their own lives.”
Tickets for Arcadia students, faculty, and staff are free; tickets for non-Arcadia students and those over the age of 65 are $5 plus fees; general admission tickets are $10 plus fees. Click here to purchase.
Speaker bios:
- Gina DiMarco, author of Laurel’s Diary, has more than 15 years of experience advocating for vulnerable populations. Her work centers on emotional literacy, survivor-informed care, and sustainable leadership in community-based organizations.
- Garreth Heidt designs classes at the middle, high school, and college level, engaging his students through traditional and progressive methods to develop skills in mindful observation, critical viewing, civil discussion, and problem solving. He currently teaches in the Perkiomen Valley School District.
- Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai is a physician, entrepreneur, board-certified psychiatrist, internist, addiction medicine specialist, and CEO of Blue Mountain Psychiatry. A first-generation immigrant who was raised in Aleppo, Syria, he survived civil war and learned early what fear does to the human mind. Rifai brings a message built on courage, truth, and action, and calls audiences to move toward more through discipline, integrity, and service.
- Regan Sammons is the head field hockey coach at Arcadia, where she competed as a student-athlete just a few years ago. Her leadership centers on developing student-athletes not only as competitors, but as confident, resilient individuals prepared for life beyond sport. A lifelong athlete who has navigated the demands of type 1 diabetes since early childhood, Sammons’ resilience and discipline deeply inform her approach to mentorship and leadership.
