UTSA scholars Karl Klose and Branco Ponomariov speak Oct. 13 at TEDxSanAntonio

logo

Share this Story

(Oct. 12, 2012) --Nearly two dozen San Antonio leaders will gather Oct. 13 at the Trinity University Jane and Arthur Stieren Theater for a series of discussions at TEDxSanAntonio, an independently organized annual conference.

UTSA scholars Karl Klose, professor of microbiology and a member of the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Branco Ponomariov, assistant professor of public administration, will speak at the conference, discussing topics in infectious disease and economic sustainability, respectively.

Klose's talk, "Rise of the Superbug: Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria," will explore how the incredible adaptive qualities of bacteria are allowing them to become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. He will discuss what can be done to combat the increasing threat of multiply-drug resistant bacteria.

For more than 25 years, Klose has studied bacterial pathogenesis, seeking to develop new vaccines and therapeutics for several different kinds of emerging pathogenic diseases in humans. His laboratory studies Vibrio cholerae and Francisella tularensis, the bacteria that cause cholera and tularemia, respectively. He is the author of more than 84 peer-reviewed publications and has received millions of dollars in funding, including grants from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, San Antonio Area Foundation and Thrasher Fund.

Ponomariov's talk, "Rethinking Nuclear Energy for Sustainable Economic Development," will discuss how, with the looming peaking and eventual decline of the rate of fossil fuel production within our century, combined with increasing energy demand and growing populations, the only meaningful and sufficiently scalable long-term energy alternative is nuclear energy.

Ponomariov joined the UTSA faculty in 2008, following two years as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research focuses on science and technology policy and on public management. He has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles on university-industry relations, technology transfer, outsourcing of public services and human resources management in the public sector. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation and has worked on projects funded by the Department of Energy.

The first TED conference was in 1984 Monterey, Calif., and has grown to include annual events organized independently around the country as well as an international conference. The conference merges technology, entertainment and design, spreading worthy ideas on a global scale. In becoming a conduit of development and inspiration, TEDTalks has attracted the most brilliant minds from a variety of backgrounds. Speakers have included national icons such as Apple founder Steve Jobs, President Bill Clinton and journalist Malcolm Gladwell.

 

 

Events



Spotlight

UTSA Bold Promise CTA

UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.