Nelson at TEDxUOregon

February 1, 2013

On Saturday, February 9, the University of Oregon will host TEDxUOregon, a conference inspired by the globally known, nonprofit TED conferences. Tapped as one of only seven speakers at the event, assistant professor of management Andrew Nelson will explore how mixing diverse disciplines can lead to knowledge breakthroughs and new methods of understanding. "One of the examples I'll give is the emerging field of acoustic archaeology, which resulted from conversations and collaboration between three diverse groups: archaeologists, electrical engineers, and musical composers," said Nelson, describing his presentation Radical Interdisciplinarity and Other Ingredients for Innovation. For those familiar with Nelson's creative approach to teaching the principles of innovation, his inclusion in the UO campus's debut TEDx event is an honor--but not entirely a surprise. "Andrew continuously pushes (and breaks) through barriers, thanks to his innately curious personality. He has an ability to engage an audience, appeal to audience members' varied interests, and ultimately influence others to be more curious in their own walks of life," said Katrina Galas, MBA '13, a member of the event's organizing committee.