Dr. Justin Goldston’s TEDxLSSU talk is titled:
How will YOU contribute to Web 3.0: The blockchain effect”

Dr. Justin Goldston

Dr. Justin Goldston is a leading expert on blockchain technology and its inclusion in business enterprises. As a certified management consultant, he has spent most of his career in industry working with leaders of organizations implementing enterprise applications around the world. With his love for technology and his passion to make a positive impact on social change, Dr. Goldston has made it his mission to bring technological knowledge and capabilities to the people. Along with deep domain experience, Dr. Goldston is a member of The Blockchain Council, The World Blockchain Association, and The Government Blockchain Association.
With a belief that it was his time to pay it forward, Dr. Goldston entered into academia teaching both undergraduate and graduate programs at The Jack Welch Management Institute, Aurora University, North Carolina Wesleyan College, and Southern New Hampshire University, as well as being a guest lecturer at Rutgers University and Morgan State University for their MBA capstone courses. Dr. Goldston’s most notable academic accolade was when he was selected to evaluate one of the first doctoral programs in Quality Systems Management in the world for program approval for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. Goldston has shared his research on various technologies at both academic and professional conferences around the world and is the author of the book Identifying Critical Success Factors in ERP implementations in Manufacturing Environments that will be released in March of 2019.

Megan Kinney – “Soo-cial Entrepreneurism: How microenterprise can spur innovation and growth in Sault Ste. Marie”

Megan Kinney

Megan Kinney is a recent arrival to the Sault from Colorado. She was born in Michigan and grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio area. She has a BA in French from the Ohio State University, and a Master’s in Information Science from the University of Michigan. Megan has worked in libraries for 30 years and in four states: Ohio, Michigan, Colorado, and Arizona. She has also written and implemented grants for every organization in which she has worked. In 2017-18, she was an Americorps VISTA volunteer in southwest Colorado. She has been coming to the Sault to visit her spouse’s family for almost 20 years. In that time, she has watched it evolve into quite a petri dish of innovation and social action. As a result, she is inspired to dig right in and roll her sleeves up, thus, her talk about microenterprise and social entrepreneurism in the Sault. In her free time, Megan enjoys hanging out and hiking with her husband and three dogs, swimming, biking, and listening to podcasts.

Betsy Huggett’s TEDxLSSU talk is titled:
Fight, Flight or Freeze: Your body’s defense mechanisms

Betsy Huggett

Betsy Huggett is the executive director for Diane Peppler Resource Center, Inc. in Sault Ste. Marie, MI since September 2014.  Ms. Huggett moved to the Upper Peninsula in 2005 from Hillsdale County, where she worked for Hope Network as a mental health case manager in Hillsdale and Jackson Counties. She worked for Great Lakes Recovery Centers, Men’s and Women’s New Hope House for 9 years as a primary clinician, case manager, and program director.  She is a member of the Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force, and a board member for Trace Holistic, a non-profit organization of nurses and nurse practitioners who provide sexual assault exams for those in need.

Ms. Huggett is a 2004 graduate of Spring Arbor University with a Bachelor of Art degree in Family Life Education.  While in her undergraduate studies, she interned and volunteered at Domestic Harmony in Hillsdale, MI. She is a Class of 1990 graduate from Litchfield High School, in Litchfield, MI.  After high school, she joined the United States Air Force where she served two tours of duty including a temporary duty assignment to Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia and received the Air Force Commendation Medal as well as the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.  

Ms. Huggett was the recipient of the 2017 Civilian Commendation Award by the Sault Sainte Marie Police Department for her work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.  

Todd Zakrajsek’s TEDxLSSU talk is titled:
Defining Yourself: You are what you ‘see’

Dr. Todd Zakrajsek

Todd D. Zakrajsek, PHD (Lake Superior State College Class of ’85) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UNC – Chapel Hill. Dr. Zakrajsek was a tenured professor of psychology and built faculty development efforts at three universities before joining the UNC School of Medicine. In addition to his work at UNC providing resources for faculty on various topics related to teaching/learning, leadership, and scholarly activity, Todd has served on many educationally-related boards and work groups. Current and past board memberships include the Journal of Excellence in College Teaching, International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, College Teaching, Education in the Health Professions. Todd has consulted with organizations such as Lenovo Computer, Microsoft, Harvard, and the Gates Foundation. Todd also founded the International Teaching Learning Cooperative (ITLC), an organization created to bring together faculty members to advance students learning in higher education. The ITLC currently hosts 11 conferences in the US and abroad. Todd has delivered keynote addresses and campus workshops at over 300 conferences and university campuses.  Todd’s recent co-authored books include The New Science of Learning (2^nd Ed); Dynamic Lecturing; and Teaching for Learning. Follow and connect with Todd on Twitter @toddzakrajsek and LinkedIn.

Blake Erickson’s TEDxLSSU talk is titled:
“Exceptionalism and its role in achieving goals”

Blake Erickson

Blake is a senior criminal justice major from Roscommon, Michigan. A 2016 graduate of Roscommon High School, Blake will be continuing his education at the University of Michigan Law School starting in Fall 2019. On campus, Blake serves as Student Government Treasurer and the President of both the Honors Student Organization and Political Science Club. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and playing sports.