The world famous NERD NITE** joins the Art Walk on Lincoln Road for a special edition of NERDIER THINGS trivia at LUMAS Gallery on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025.
LUMAS Gallery is one of the world’s leading galleries for signed and limited art editions. Lincoln Road is Miami Beach’s world-renowned, outdoor pedestrian promenade.
Thursday, September 18, 2025, 7-9pm LUMAS Gallery 737 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139
**NERD NITE is an evening of entertaining and educational presentations. Our guest speakers present for 15 minutes, followed by a brief Q&A with the audience. Special events include trivia, speed dating, among others. Nerd Nite operates in over a hundred cities around the world, including Toronto, Tokyo, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Los Angeles, London, Honolulu, Hong Kong, Austin, and many more.
Nerd Nite Miami returns Thurs, August 7th at Gramps.
Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining and educational presentations. Speakers present for 15 minutes, followed by a brief Q&A with the audience. Doors at 6. The show begins promptly at 7pm. We do a round of trivia in-between the presentations.
Guest speakers Dr. Kristen McConnell Victor Rodriguez-Ros Joshua “TechDev” Walker
Hosted by Ricardo Williams
PRESENTATION #1 “Fighting Cancer with Radiation: Precision, Power, and a Lot of Physics” by Dr. Kristen McConnell
Radiation gets a bad rap. From comic books to disaster headlines, but it’s also one of the most powerful tools in modern science and medicine. In this talk, we’ll explore where radiation shows up in your daily life (hint: it’s not just your microwave), how it’s used safely, and the surprising ways it helps us, especially in the fight against cancer.
We’ll dive into how radiation therapy works to target and destroy tumors with pinpoint precision, how physicists plan treatments to protect healthy organs, and what makes some types of radiation more effective than others.
Come curious—we’ll break down the science, bust some myths, and maybe even talk about glowing in the dark (spoiler: you won’t).
Dr. Kristen McConnell is a board-certified proton therapy physicist at Miami Cancer Institute. She holds a PhD in Radiological Sciences, with earlier degrees in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering from the University of Texas. Dr. McConnell completed her clinical residency at UC San Diego and has been a practicing medical physicist for the past six years. Her research focuses on how radiation interacts with the human body and how we can better exploit biology to enhance its effects in cancer treatment. She’s passionate about making complex science accessible—and maybe even a little fun.
PRESENTATION #2 “Teaching AI and Cloud Through Politics and Shitty Pop Culture” by Joshua “TechDev” Walker
Joshua “TechDev” Walker is what happens when you combine an Army vet, a self-taught cloud architect, a social impact pioneer, and just the right amount of caffeine—then hit “run.” He’s also the author of “Venti Fried Chicken,” a book that’s not about coffee or poultry, but might still leave you hungry for more.
When he’s not architecting clouds (no, not the ones in the sky—please stop asking), Joshua is out there serving clients, teaching tech, and giving talks that are 80% inspiration, 20% memes, and 100% likely to include at least one reference to Star Wars. His mantra? Train, inspire, and relate—because someone has to explain Kubernetes to your grandma. #cloudGang
PRESENTATION #3 “Joachim Meyer and the Fechtschule: Centuries-Old German Swordsmanship in the Modern World.” by Victor Rodriguez-Ros
Victor Rodriguez-Ros has spent the last seven years deeply immersed in the study and practice of the Art of Combat as instructed by Joachim Meyer. As Director of Assaults at Living Meyer and a licensed physiotherapist, he brings a unique perspective to the historical martial arts, bridging centuries-old German swordsmanship with modern understanding.
The world famous NERD NITE is spending the summer at Gramps. 1 date down, 2 more to go. Next up is July 17th. Come through and learn something new.
Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining and educational presentations. Speakers present for 15 minutes, followed by a brief Q&A with the audience. Doors at 6. The show begins promptly at 7pm. We do a round of trivia in-between the presentations.
Guest speakers Brandon Emanuel León Malachi Fenn Trina Rosing
PRESENATION #1 “Archaeology Works: Stars” by Malachi Fenn, MA, RPA
Before becoming Public Archaeology Coordinator for FPAN’s Southeast Region, Malachi Fenn worked on cultural resource management (CRM) and museum projects throughout South Florida. They earned their B.A. in Anthropology from New College of Florida. A lifelong visual artist, Malachi has provided archaeological illustrations for numerous publications. Their specializations include Pre-Hispanic Maya archaeology and epigraphy, Florida pre-colonial and historical archaeology, museum collections care, and scientific illustration.
PRESENTATION #2 “Major Marine Predators” by Trina Rosing
Trina Rosing is a marine biologist and works as a lab manager at UM. She has a degree in Biology and Marine Science, a MPS in Marine Conservation, and is working on another degree in Oceanography.
PRESENTATION #3 “Neurotransmitters in Brain Cancer: How we can leverage cancer neuroscience to improve patient survival” by Brandon Emanuel León
Brandon Emanuel León is a 2nd year PhD student at the University of Miami. He studies the role of astrocytes in glioblastoma, a form of primary brain cancer. After graduation he aims to become a science policy expert to ensure that scientists have the federal support to continue making impactful discoveries for society.
Nerd Nite Miami is back Thurs, June 5th at Gramps.
Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining and educational presentations. Speakers present for 15 minutes, followed by a brief Q&A with the audience. Doors at 6. Presentations begin promptly at 7pm. We do a round of trivia in-between the presentations.
Guest speakers Jessica Brady Ed Casas Shalini Uppu
PRESENTATION #1 “Xenoanthropology 101: The Nazca Mummies” by Ed Casas
Ed Casas is a graduate of FAU with BA degree in Anthropology, and Social Sciences & Ethnic Studies. Casas ran the education department at the Graves Museum of Archaeology & Natural History.
PRESENTATION #2: “Hex Appeal: From Ancient Spells to Modern Magic” by Jessica Brady
Jessica is a Syracuse grad with a double major in psychology and neuroscience, but her real passions lie in hiking, reading, and traveling. She works as a fashion tradeshow coordinator, volunteers to raise child literacy rates, and never says no to a good outfit. Funny, adventurous, and always game for a good time, she’s the friend you’ll wish you’d met sooner.
PRESENTATION #3 “Who Gets In and Why: Inside the New World of College Admissions” by Shalini Uppu
Shalini grew up in Miami and is a proud graduate of a Miami-Dade County Public School. As a student at Yale, she worked in the admissions office which sparked a lifelong interest in college admissions. Later, she served in the admissions offices at Duke and UChicago before moving back home to Miami. Now, she and her colleague support local students with their college applications. Shalini enjoys tennis and long walks at Publix.
