Adding to the list of distinguished University faculty and staff is University assistant professor Jessica Green, who was named one of 25 Technology, Entertainment and Design Fellows last month.
Her fellowship will take her to the five-day TED conference in Long Beach, Calif., in February.
In 1984, the conference started bringing together people from different backgrounds to showcase their noteworthy ideas. Participants began to make new connections and collaborations with fellow members, starting a powerful network of leading thinkers and doers around the globe. TED Fellows primarily are 21 to 40 years old and have
demonstrated achievement in
their fields.
In Green’s case, that means achievement in the field of microbial diversity research. She and other members of her Green Lab at the University’s Center for Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology ask questions about patterns in the distribution and abundance of
species on Earth.
University professor Patrick Phillips, director of the Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, admires Green’s work.
“With her work, we can now ask what communities of species are doing,” Phillips said. “She also brings a strong quantitative ecology background to her work as she looks at the data and asks questions about bacterial communities, like why is diversity of life across the planet the way that it is?”
The TED 2010 Conference, titled “What the World Needs Now,” has asked 45 speakers to dig deeper to answer that question. The program consists of 12 main sessions devoted to one big concept: The world needs to further its innovation in science and technology, from mindshift and action to imagination and wisdom.
Conference speakers include such names as comedian Sarah Silverman, writer and activist Elie Wiesel, and Microsoft Chairman and philanthropist Bill Gates.
“I will be given an opportunity to intellectually interact with and learn from innovative people outside of academia,” Green said. “This is something I have been extremely interested in but have not yet made the time for.”
Green first heard about the conference through an unexpected source — her mom. After hearing the news about her TED Fellow title, Green had only one thing to say.
“My mom rocks it,” she said. “She sent me an Ironweed video in the mail about TED several years ago with a sticky note on top saying ‘You should do this,’” Green said. “It took me a while to follow through on her advice.  Sound familiar?”
But Green was glad she did. Her hard work paid off, her mom was proud, and she impressed her colleagues with her achievements.
James O’Dwyer, a post-doctoral research associate in theoretical ecology and a member of Green’s lab, said Green is unlike anyone else he’s worked with.
“She’s a scientist with a life outside science, but also with a strong vision for the goals she wants to accomplish in her research, which is a pretty inspiring combination,” O’Dwyer said. “And they’re big goals, too — blending empirical and theoretical approaches to help unveil the structure of the microbial world.”
“I think it’s very exciting,” Phillips said. “This is a strong indication of how interesting her work is and that she’s at the cutting edge of research on the unseen world of the microbial world.”
Green doesn’t know how the title will affect her future career at the University, but she envisions some major improvements.
“Maybe I will meet some interesting people that want to collaborate on an animated music video about microbial biodiversity, a piece that inspires young people across the world to care about biodiversity,” Green said. “Wouldn’t that be fun?”
During the a two-day pre-conference session, Green will have the chance to give a three-minute “TED talk,” discussing anything from personal stories to memorable experiences and details about her career successes.
The TED Fellows conference is seen as a chance to network, but Green hopes for more.
“I have never been to a TED conference,” Green said. “I anticipate that extraordinary things will happen. Whatever may happen, I am ready!”
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