Join Nerd Nite Orlando on Thursday, March 14th for NERD NITE DAY 2024 at the Orlando Science Center** and celebrate 11 years of “the most fun public speaking event in town”. Click here to purchase your tickets.
Hosted by Ricardo Williams
Each speaker will be giving a 10-minute presentation.
Guest speakers include: Emilee Speck Rachel Cooper Eliza Harris Juliano Sharife Gacel Anna V. Eskamani Jim Hobart Joshua “TechDev” Walker Max Jackson
Orlando Science Center 777 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803 **The event will take place in the Digital Adventure Theater.
BEER & WINE will be available for sale. However, there WON’T BE HOT FOOD FOR SALE this evening. So it’s recommended that you have dinner before you arrive.
PRESENTATION #1: “Road Trippin’ to Totality” by Emilee Speck
Emilee Speck is a space journalist and FOX Weather digital producer based in Florida. Emilee’s reporting has included covering historic milestones in spaceflight such as the return to human spaceflight from U.S. soil in 2020, the Artemis I launch to the Moon and driving across the country documenting the 2017 Great American Solar Eclipse. She previously hosted the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning podcast Space Curious.
PRESENTATION #2: “Busting Myths About Booze” by Rachel Cooper
What you think you know about your favorite beverage might not be true. Here’s what decades of research on alcohol tell us about how alcohol actually impacts us.
Rachel is currently a PhD student at UCF, studying clinical psychology. Her research focuses broadly on sexual violence and more specifically on sexual aggression, sexual communication, such as consent and rejection, and the role substance use plays in perpetration and victimization. She is also interested in the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual violence as well as the development of intervention and prevention programs for sexual violence among both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ communities. When Rachel is not drowning in grad school work she loves doing any craft project she can get her hands on, checking out all the amazing restaurants and bars in Orlando, reading psychological thrillers and Buddhist philosophy (she was a double psychology and religion major in undergrad).
PRESENTATION #3: “Math for a Better City” by Eliza Harris Juliano
Learn how math can help us make better decisions about how we design and build our cities; and better understand how good (or bad) city planning affects your everyday life in sometimes counterintuitive ways.
Eliza Harris Juliano is an advocate for better cities. She provides professional planning services at Kimley-Horn where she works with local governments to develop community plans and rewrite regulations to enable a broader range of sustainable neighborhoods. She serves on the board of Bike/Walk Central Florida and is a former board chair of the Congress for the New Urbanism. You can find her on twitter at @myurbangen.
PRESENTATION #4: “Cosmic Conversations: The Overview Effect as an Analog Astronaut” by Sharife Gacel
Sharife Gacel is an Analog Astronaut, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a passion for sharing space with others. As an Analog Astronaut, she served as the Medical Officer and her ongoing research is titled “The Impact of Crew Isolation and Lunar Simulation on Human Behavior.” Her background is in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Veterinary Medicine, and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Sharife has a private practice with her adopted greyhound, Cosmos, that she founded over 10 years ago and specializes in life transitions, anxiety, and general mental health concerns. You can learn more about Sharife and her work on her website, www.thespacetherapist.com.
PRESENTATION #5: “Florida Politics as Star Wars” by Rep. Anna V. Eskamani
Anna V. Eskamani is a UCF grad and a nonprofit professional currently seeking her PhD in Public Administration. Anna ran for public office as a first time candidate in 2018, flipped a legislative seat, and is proud to serve as a State House Representative for District 42 winning both of her re-election campaigns in a landslide. When she’s not serving the good people of Florida, she’s probably watching Star Wars (if she has time).
PRESENTATION #6: “Lights, Camera, Legacy: A Guide to Preserving Family Stories + Why It’s so Important” by Jim Hobart
This talk will focus on the technical considerations and sentimental value of creating a personal documentary of your loved ones, crafting your own treasured and irreplaceable keepsake that can be cherished for generations. Jim Hobart, the founder of Legacy Life Project, will share his passion for this meaningful undertaking and guide you through the professional process he uses to develop high-quality biographies. You’ll also learn about the importance of selecting the right interviewer to capture your loved ones’ unique stories and experiences, so you can get started on your own video documentary today.
Jim Hobart is a creative Orlando business owner with a passion for videography, stories, and a deep love for dogs. Jim came to realize the profound value of his own recordings of his loved ones after losing his father, and decided to focus his talent and experience on creating high-quality biographical documentaries through the Legacy Life Project. These video heirlooms capture the unique narratives and legacies of the everyday people who mean the world to us, preserving family histories for generations to come.
PRESENTATION #7: Amazon Web Services Explained Through Politics and $hi++y Pop Culture 2024 by Joshua “TechDev” Walker
Josh returns to Nerd Nite, ready to demystify the elusive Amazon Premiere Platform! Buckle up for another bipartisan laugh riot as he blends “shitty pop culture” and “shitty politics” (his words, not mine!) to tackle this technical beast. This talk promises to be an update to his last raved-about presentation, but instead of Steve Urkel, get ready for a wild ride through AWS, all while potentially ruffling some feathers (but hey, at least it’ll be bipartisan fun!). So join Josh as he connects the dots between the familiar and the unknown, making AWS accessible and maybe even raising some awareness along the way!
Joshua “TechDev” Walker is an Army Vet turned self-taught Cloud Solutions Architect, Diversity Pioneer, and Author of “Venti Fried Chicken”. Joshua has been featured on Deloitte’s “Uncensored” series, and Deloitte’s “On Cloud Podcast ” and has frequently been covered by the Orlando Business Journal for his work in Diversity, Equity, and, Inclusion as one of the Black Orlando Tech founders. Joshua continues to serve his clients and community to make the maximum impact through cloud delivery, online tech education, and in-person tech talks. His mantra is to train, inspire, and relate. #cloudGang
PRESENTATION #8: “Haus Wittgenstein: The Life of Meaning and the Meaning of Life” by Max Jackson
Max is a data scientist by day and an actor and improvisor by night – his lifelong passion of making people laugh and clap when he talks has taken him every stage he could stand on, from TED talks to improv comedy shows and from New York to Miami to Seattle and back.
Join us tonight for a special pop-up Nerd Nite at Bynx Cafe. Enjoy presentations from some of your favorite Nerd Nite speakers Max Jackson and Jimmy Waldron.
The 3rd Saturday of the month is upon us and which means Orlando Bike Tours is back for another fun ride to learn about the hidden gems of Central Florida. This bike tour’s theme is food and will be centered around burgers. The begins at 10:30am this Saturday, June 20th at Graffiti Junktion Thornton Park and then off to Artisan’s Table & Hideaway Bar for 5-mile sampler of Orlando’s best reviewed burgers!
Ticket Information:
– Bring Your Own Bike: $30
– Share-a-Bike: $35 (20 Orlando Bike Share bikes available)
– Day Of: $40
The photo by former Nerd Nite speaker and astrophotographer Derek Demeter is entitled “Milky Way-By-The-Sea”. It was taken at Canaveral National Seashore, just south of New Smyrna Beach or less than an hour from downtown Orlando. The photo will be featured at the SNAP! “You are Here” photography show starting on Thursday, May 21st at City Arts Factory.
Nerd Nite Orlando’s 2-Year Anniversary Pi Day Celebration Presented by Canvs & Nerd Nite Orlando
Nerd Nite Orlando is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking talks across many disciplines – all while the audience drinks along in a casual bar atmosphere. Speakers present for up to 20 minutes, each on a fascinating subject of their choice, often in an uncanny and unconventional way. Following each presentation is a 5-10 minute Q&A with the audience.
To coincide with Pi Day and the 2-year anniversary of the very first Nerd Nite in Orlando, we will be co-hosting a special event with Canvs on Saturday, March 14th at the Church Street Exchange. The afternoon/evening will compile a diverse group of classic nerd nite talks along with new presentations and additional programming that includes trivia, a drunk science nerd-off, and a dry t-shirt contest; along with music, games, pies, a magic show and of course drinks!
EVENT INFO:
Date: Saturday, March 14, 2015
Time: 3pm – 9pm
Location: Church Street Exchange, 101 South Garland Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
Tickets: $10 (Presale) $15 (Door)
If you would like to participate in the Pie Baking Contest, bring in your homemade pies to the event, we’ll collect them and at the end of the night, we will have our judges pick the best and the winner will be given a prize.
All Pi Day attendees get $10 off the door entry for the Downtown Brewfest, hosted by the Church Street District and Real Radio 104.1 (Brewfest is a craft beer sampling event that will be happening next door on Church Street from 4-8pm.)
SPEAKERS:
Chris Castro 3:15-3:45
Amy & Nathan Selikoff 3:55-4:25
Bobby Wesley 4:35-5:05
Max Jackson 5:45-6:15
Beth Philips 6:25-6:55
Nick Paul 7:05-7:35
PROGRAMMING:
● Nerd Nite talks
● Trivia
● Console games
● Dry T-Shirt Contest
● Drunk Science/Nerd Off
● Nerdcore Music
● Pie Baking Contest (sponsored by Bungalower)
PRESENTATION INFO: “The Clean Energy Revolution: How Citizens are Re-energizing our Future” by Chris Castro
Talk Description: The clean energy economy is one of the most exciting industries for new economic development and job creation opportunities, not to mention its potential to help save the planet from the greatest challenge facing humanity. Leaders in Central Florida are working on ways to drive efficiency, and re-energize our future by working on ways to unlock the clean energy economy through community engagement and creative new policies that could change the game for energy in the Sunshine State and beyond.
Bio: Chris is an emerging social eco-preneur, community organizer, public speaker, Global Shaper, and practitioner in the sustainability movement with a passion for accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy. Chris currently is the Sustainability Program Manager and Senior Energy Adviser for the City of Orlando. He holds a B.S. degree in ‘Environmental Studies’ and ‘Energy & Sustainability’ from the University of Central Florida (UCF). Through his years as an undergrad, he co-founded IDEAS For Us, an international 501c3 nonprofit and UN-accredited NGO, building a movement of people around the World working to advance environmental solutions and sustainability. In 2012, Chris also partnered with professionals to create a clean energy consulting firm – Citizen Energy – that is implementing energy efficiency + renewable energy solutions in commercial buildings in Washington DC.
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“Digital Mapmaking: You Are Here” by Nathan & Amy Selikoff
Talk Description: Why does Google Maps use the Mercator projection? Does it matter? Maps have power, and are a fascinating intersection of data visualization, mathematics, design, geopolitics, and history. The data and tools we now have at our fingertips (for free!) allow us all to get our feet wet in cartography. We can create maps that tell stories, explore our place in the world, or help us see our city differently. Join Nathan and Amy as they explore digital mapmaking in the 21st century.
Bio: Nathan Selikoff is an artist and programmer inspired by systems, science, nature and music. Selikoff fuses these interests into interactive artistic installations and unique objects that provoke community engagement and inspire new ways of thinking about the world we live in.
Amy Selikoff has taught 7th grade social studies for the past 10 years in Orange County. She loves her job. A lifelong geography nerd, Amy majored in history and journalism at the University of Florida. Amy has been married to her wonderful husband Nathan for 8 years. They love traveling the world, playing music, and pursuing justice together.
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“Bowties are cool: Geek Chic, Identity and a Thin Strip of Cloth” by Bobby Wesley
Talk Description: Bowties are popular. Well, kinda. And right now so are “geek chic” and nerd culture. But what we wear has a history; it says something about who we are or want to be. Through the knot of bow ties, we’ll tie together the history and roles of fashion, identity formation, popular culture, hipsters, nerds and Dr. Who. Also puns and jokes. Can you tie a bow tie? Are clip-ons ever acceptable? Will the Eleventh Doctor be in attendance?! All this will be answered and more!
Bio: Bobby Wesley is a marketing guy, writer, recovering politico and often tells jokes at bars. He’s also pretty dapper. He has taught every one of his adult male friends (and quite a few ladies) how to tie bow ties. He likes nice suits and hipster shit. Despite his best efforts, you may know him as “the bow tie guy.” Which is fine.
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“Programming on the Mind” by Max Jackson
Talk Description: For those of us in the West, digital technology has become an effortless part of our day-to-day existence. Actions such as sending an email or watching Netflix occur to us naturally, without challenge and without really catching our attention (unless something goes wrong). In addition to being effortless, digital technology is also uniquely and excitingly *rewarding* of our efforts – putting attention and time into learning how it works produces extraordinary benefits for the individual who does so. This talk will explore the ways in which programming makes a difference in the lives of everyday people and the ways it will continue to do so in the future, and in doing so will show that the brain-machine interfacing revolution is already well underway.
Bio: Max Jackson is a graduate student in Bioinformatics at the University of Central Florida. He helps to develop ‘Brains-on-a-chip’, focusing on analyzing their neurotransmission on both the network and the nano level. Through the Orlando Hackerspace FamiLAB he works with OpenBCI, an open-source Brain-Computer Interface group out of New York City.
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“A Professional Liar: Fake Magic is Real Art” by Nick Paul
Talk Description: Magician Nick Paul has been lying to people for over 13 years. He has a fascination with honest deception and why magic works. His brand of “fake magic” is intended to entertain and confuse. Nick will explain why magicians who claim to have magical powers are creepy, and why magic is an art form no different from stand up comedy or music.
Bio: Nick Paul has been performing professionally for over a decade. He has been seen internationally and performs for colleges, theaters and fortune 500 companies all over the US. He is a graduate of the theater department at Columbia College Chicago, as well as the Second City Conservatory. In 2006 he was given the award for “Best Magician….in His Family”.
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“Robot Intimacy: The Inevitable Leap to Love and Sex with Robots” by Beth Phillips
Talk Description: Robots are undergoing a transformation in society, from fulfilling roles as dissociative tools to roles as our partners and collaborators. Drawing on what we know about the current direction of robotic design as well as human attachment, it’s easy to predict that one day we will have loving, intimate relationships with our mechanical friends. Join us for a discussion on the future of human-robot relations and why envisioning a world in which people fall in love with artificial beings is not as far-fetched as it may seem.
Bio: Beth Phillips is a doctoral candidate in Applied Experimental & Human Factors Psychology at UCF. She studies human interaction with robots to better understand how to foster teamwork between humans and robots of the future. She’s also passionate about saxophone, space, sustainability, people and creating. Check out “about.me/elizabeth.phillips” for more information about Beth and her work.
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For questions or more information, contact Ricardo Williams [at]
