2026 TEDxSIUC Committee

Joey Volpe | President and Organizer

Joseph (Joey) Volpe is a senior at Southern Illinois University Carbondale studying Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management. He currently serves as Vice President of Sigma Chi and is a proud member of Eta Sigma Delta, the international honor society for hospitality management. Joey chose to serve as President of TEDxSIUC because of his genuine love for event planning and bringing people together around ideas that matter. TEDx had a meaningful impact on his own educational experience, encouraging him to get involved beyond the classroom and think more intentionally about leadership, creativity, and community. Through TEDxSIUC, Joey is excited to help create an engaging space where ideas are shared and lasting connections are made.

Suhas Dantuluri| Vice President

Suhas is a sophomore at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, enrolled in the College of Agricultural, Life, and Physical Sciences in the undergraduate biological science program. Suhas’ previous work has involved advocacy for underserved populations in healthcare, and he continues to work in aid of bridging the gaps in our current system. Suhas’ involvement in TEDx is driven by a desire to tell interesting stories and give people a platform to be their authentic selves while inspiring others who are on their own unique journeys.

Bethany Peppers| Advisor

Bethany Peppers is an Illinois native from Urbana-Champaign and currently serves as Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s (SIUC) Interim Director for Fraternity/Sorority Life, Leadership & Service. She oversees leadership programs, Greek-lettered organizations, volunteerism, and service-learning initiatives.

Prior to her current role, Bethany served as the Program Director for Student Involvement & Leadership and as the Program Coordinator for the Women’s Resource Center. She is a two-time alumna of SIUC, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies and Political Science (2019) and a Master of Science in Education with a specialization in Higher Education (2021).

Bethany is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration with a focus on higher education. She has proudly served as a TEDxSIUC advisor since 2022, reflecting her belief in the power of ideas to spark meaningful change locally and globally.

Mackenzie Fodrey| Secretory

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Parker Foote| Sponsorship and Budget Manager

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Sam Bakos| Video and Audio Team

Sam Bakos is a senior at SIUC majoring in Journalism. Sam is the co-executive producer of one of the muti-media RSOs on campus. He loves being able to create new and different things and being able to help others learn.

Sam decided to join the TEDx team as audio/visual manager because of his love for video production. Sam has worked freelance video production for close to four years and has loved every second of it.

Kaylin Williams| Video and Audio Manager

Kaylin Williams is a third-year student at SIUC majoring in Cinema. She loves being able to express herself artistically and develop her filmmaking skills through the courses SIUC’s College of Arts and Media has to offer, and by being an active member in multiple media-making RSOs. Kaylin chose to join TEDxSIUC as audio/visual manager because of the opportunities the organization provides for her to get pre-production and hands-on live video production experience! She also loves to listen and learn from the brave and inspirational TEDx speakers!

Ainaz Fazlfarhadi| Marketing Team Manager

Ainaz Fazlfarhadi is a graduate student pursuing a degree in Architecture at Southern Illinois University. With professional experience in architectural design, photography, curation, and personal branding, Ainaz brings a diverse skill set and perspective to the TED team. Driven by a passion for creating positive change, Ainaz is excited to collaborate with other TED members to spread ideas that can build a brighter future.

Caleb Oxley| Curator

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2026 TEDxSIUC Committee