ORLANDO, FL — Activist and organizer Ida Eskamani is announced as the new Co-Boss of Nerd Nite Orlando.
Nerd Nite, a monthly event that features educational and entertaining presentations in a casual atmosphere, operates in over a hundred cities around the world, including Tokyo, Seattle, New York City, London, Fort Lauderdale, Des Moines and Austin.
Nerd Nite launched in Orlando on Thursday, March 14, 2013 by founding organizers Valerie Cepero, Josh Manning, and Ricardo Williams. For the past two years, Williams has solely organized and hosted Nerd Nite Orlando. Eskamani, who nerds out about astronomy, music and nature, will work side by side with Williams to organize monthly events as well as special programming and share hosting duties on certain evenings.
The announcement was made on Thursday, September 14th at “Nerd Nite Orlando LV: Neural Networks, Autonomous Vehicles, & The Procrastination Paradox” where Eskamani took the stage at the end of the evening to emphasize big plans for 2018 including a Nerd Nite Prom and how they’re going to “triple everything in size and Nerd Nite this whole damn town!”
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Contact:
Ricardo Williams
Host, Nerd Nite Orlando
813–464–1712
Ida Eskamani is a first generation Iranian-American and a native of Orlando, Florida. She earned dual degrees in Political Science and Sociology and has served on top political campaigns, advocacy organizations, and institutions including the Obama White House, Sen. Bill Nelson’s re-election campaign, and Equality Florida. Following the tragedy at Pulse, Ms. Eskamani launched the Pulse Victims Fund, raising $10 million dollars for Pulse families and survivors and played a key role in victim service and advocacy efforts following the tragedy, with a focus on intersectionality and empowerment. She has organized large-scale demonstrations in support of the black lives matter movement, LGBTQ+ equality, common sense gun safety measures, and in resistance to Trump’s travel ban. Ms. Eskamani earned her Masters in Public Administration from UCF in 2016, and currently serves as Chief of Staff to Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, as well as on the Board of Directors of Organize Florida, a community-based, nonprofit member organization of low and moderate income people dedicated to the principles of social, racial, and economic justice. She also serves on Equality Florida’s Greater Orlando Steering Committee.
Great news nerds! Not only will we be hosting our 30th consecutive Nerd Nite at the Orlando Science Center completely for free, but thanks to our friends at Juice Bike Share, you can bike there (also) for free!
Here’s what you do:
* Download Social Bicycles mobile app
* Select a plan
* Use the promo code: NERDNITE30
* Pick a bike at a nearby hub
* Unlock with account number and pin
* Enjoy!
The promo code gives all new users of the Juice Bike Share program, a $10 credit- which is more than enough to ride there and back.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact Juice Bike Share at 407-930-9414 or
Juice Bike Share will also be setting up a temporary bike share station at the Orlando Science Center so that new (and existing users) can park their bikes at the event for free.
Join us for our 30th consecutive Nerd Nite in Orlando. We will be hosting a special gaming and space themed event at the Orlando Science Center to get you excited for the upcoming Indie Galactic Space Jam.
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 15-20 minutes each on a fascinating subject of their choice, often in an uncanny and unconventional way. Following each presentation is a brief Q&A with the audience.
Come meet up, drink, and learn something new!
EVENT INFO:
When: Thursday, August 13th, 7:00pm
Where: Orlando Science Center
777 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803
PRESENTATIONS:
“My-Oh-Maya: The Astronomy of the Yucatan” by Michael McConville
Description: The Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula were one of the most advanced civilizations in the world during their heyday more than a thousand years ago. Although best known for their impressive calendar system – and an apocalypse that never happened – the astronomy of the Maya was amazing in both its scope and detail. We’ll walk through history and travel through the Universe to examine a view of the cosmos centuries ahead of its time.
Speaker Bio: Michael McConville has been bridging the gap between the humanities and the sciences for most of his career. Deeply passionate about teaching, Michael has woven together the stories of history and the Universe for more than a decade. He serves as both the planetarium coordinator at Seminole State College and a professor of history at the University of Central Florida, and these two very different responsibilities have resulted in unique perspectives in both the dome and the classroom. He is also a long-suffering fan of the New York Mets, and will remain so until at least the next Mayan apocalypse.
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“Resource Reutilization: “The Martian” in not all fiction…Let me tell you about NASA In-Situ Resource Utilization and how that’s my job!” by Anne Caraccio
Description: Discussion about one of two awesome technologies NASA is developing:
Tech 1. Conversion of the Mars atmosphere into fuel and water!
Speaker Bio: Anne Caraccio, “Annie” is from New York and joined NASA as a student in 2011. She supports NASA as a chemical engineer on several projects that support deep space exploration and resource reutilization for human spaceflight. Her main projects involve developing a system for recovering logistical waste from long duration space missions to produce usable gases for propulsion, environmental control, and life support systems as well as a system for converting the Martian atmosphere into fuel and water. As a crew member of the 2014 HI-SEAS Mars analog simulation, she took part in a 120 day psychological study and performed various research projects while living in an isolated Mars-like habitat with an international crew. She is a graduate of the 2012 NASA FIRST leadership development program and also a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida.
Ms. Caraccio is passionate about human space flight and developing systems for future deep space exploration. She carries her passion of the space program out into the world by volunteering with numerous educational outreach events. If she can convince one student, child, parent, skeptic, etc. to appreciate science or develop curiosity and appreciation of this universe, she feels a huge accomplishment has been made!
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“Lessons Learned From a Year of Jamming” by Adriel Wallick
Description: This talk will explore the lessons learned from an entire year of continuous weekly game jams. Adriel will discuss methods of rapid brainstorming and prototyping as well as cover common mistakes made when first participating in a game jam.
Speaker Bio: Adriel Wallick is an independent game developer most recently based out of The Netherlands. Originally a programmer on the next generation of weather satellites, she decided to explore gaming as a developer instead of just an avid gamer. She is best known for having made a game a week for an entire year as well as organizing the annual Train Jam game jam.
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“Look, No Hands! Gaming with and for the Brain” by Max Jackson
Description: The game controller of the future won’t be one that you hold – not with your hands, anyway. It’ll be one that senses the states of your brain and turns that information into commands for a machine and shapes the gaming experience, and maybe directly stimulates your brain in return. This talk will explore some of the many possibilities for brain tech and gaming, exploring the relationship between art, technology, and our fundamental humanity.
Speaker Bio: Max Jackson is a graduate student at UCF, working at the Hickman ‘Body-on-a-Chip’ lab where he develops software to automate the production, collection, and analysis of electrophysiological signals. He is a co-founder of Cortex, a company that works to develop neurotechnology which empowers makers, artists, the medical community, and everyday people alike.
For the past two years, Williams has solely organized and hosted Nerd Nite Orlando. Eskamani, who nerds out about astronomy, music and nature, will work side by side with Williams to organize monthly events as well as special programming and share hosting duties on certain evenings.
