Please join us in wishing Co-Boss Melissa well as she leaves Miami to follow her nerdy dreams.
This month’s speakers and topics:
1) “What Will The Future Look Like? Cyberpunk, Solarpunk, and Cybertribe”
by Juan Lozano
Ever wondered what people will be wearing in 2050? Will it be jetpacks, or is the global flood going to mean the next generation is canoeing to work? The culture of the future is an obsession and a passion for Juan Lozano, founder of the /r/CyberTribe futurist art community on Reddit. Through this public conversation about cyberpunk, solarpunk, and futurist speculation, the questions we hope to answer for you include: What countries will sculpt the pop culture of The Future? What industries will rise and fall? And what color will The Future be?
Juan is an author and YouTuber. His channel covers Miami as an “artsy tour guide.” He and his brother are the authors of the book Poetry From The Future, Interactive YouTube Book, which has sold more than 300 copies at events like Bonnaroo Music Festival and the Miami Book Fair. In 2021, Juan started a community on Reddit that celebrates the vision of the future he says he most identifies with. Find it at https://reddit.com/r/cybertribe
2) “I Almost Threw Up While Taking the GRE, But It Was For the Best: How Removing Standardized Tests May Hinder College Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts”
by Sergio Marquez
Standardized tests are in hot waters following recent college admissions scandals and ongoing accusations of racial bias, with several universities and graduate programs cutting them in solidarity with marginalized students. However, this decision has psychology professors and test bias researchers concerned about the unintended consequences this may have on the population meant to be benefit. Why and how could that be? This talk will overview what we know about standardized testing (e.g., SAT, ACT, GRE, etc.), what effects characteristics such as socioeconomic status have on college admissions and test scores, how psychologists understand and address test bias, and what could happen by removing standardized testing from admission standards. This will be followed by discussion, grounded in test measurement literature, that offers potential meaningful, productive solutions for universities to select and support BIPOC and other underrepresented students within university settings.
Sergio is a fifth-year Organizational Psychology PhD Student at Michigan State University. Sergio’s primary research areas are occupational health, emotion regulation, and selection test fairness and bias. He’s published and presented research in organizational psychology outlets such as “Perspectives on Science and Practice Journal” and “Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology” annual conferences, as well other outlets such as the “Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.” He’s further worked with several organizations such as Indeed, Ford Motor Company, Detroit Medical Health System, and HumRRO (Human Resources and Research Organization) . When he’s not drowning in research, Sergio is an avid Magic the Gathering player and theme park enthusiast.
3) “Why Mama Was Wrong (And What She Didn’t Teach You About Credit Cards)”
by Joe Brutus
Your momma might’ve taught you wrong. Find out how by learning about a history of credit cards, as well as their pros & cons.
Joe Brutus is a Miami Hurricane and FIU Panther alum. Prefers frequent short walks to the fridge over long walks on the beaches. Somehow stumbled into the financial industry during the ’08 recession.
July 8, 2021
7:30pm
Gramps Bar. Wynwood
This month’s speakers and topics:
1) “Appearance and Reality”
by Dr. Aldrich Chan
What does it mean to reassemble models of reality? This presentation will discuss the various illusions our brainmind creates in order for our experience of reality to appear as it does.
Dr. Aldrich Chan is a neuropsychologist and author of Reassembling Models of Reality. He is the Founder of Center for Neuropsychology & Consciousness, Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University and Research Associate at University of Miami.
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2) “Threats to Dade County’s Wildlife”
by Lloyd Brown
This presentation will point out some of the major threats to the wild animals native to South Florida.
Lloyd Brown founded Wildlife Rescue of Dade County in 1995. Lloyd is licensed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and US Fish and Wildlife Service to rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned native wild animals. He has rescued animals and taught others how to rescue animals all over the planet from South Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Africa. This past February, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award from National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA), and in March he received the title of “Ambassador” from the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC). He is also a former Army Paratrooper and is currently a firefighter, paramedic, technical rescue technician, and dive rescue instructor for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
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3) “Watt walks”
by Dr. Anthony Krupp
What happens when a medieval pilgrim (or is he a rolled-up carpet? or is he a long wet dream?) enters an existentialist novel? Samuel Beckett’s Watt, that’s what. Not that Watt is a pilgrim, for he is not. In addition to getting a taste of the sparse stoic hilarity of Beckett’s language, you will learn about the history of walking, romanticism, vegetation, and music. You will also get to hear a world premiere, performed live, of a choral work when Tony Krupp and friends present “Ditch music (Op. 20).”
Tony Krupp has published on the history of childhood, the history of psychology, and German literature and thought. He is also an amateur singer, pianist, and composer. His day job involves teaching students to pick A, B, C, or D on standardized tests. (It’s more fun than it sounds!) The nights belong to his friends, loved ones, and (lately) fiction by Cervantes and Beckett.
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Schedule for the night:
7:00 Doors open
7:30 Presentations begin
9:00 Double Stubble
February 11, 2021 at 7:30pm via Zoom and Facebook Live
1) It’s Electric (Boogie, Oogie, Oogie)
by Torend Collins, Program Coordinator, Environmental Defense Fund
From combating climate change to requiring minimal maintenance, electric vehicles (EVs) are helping shape the future of transportation as we know it. Environmental Defense Fund’s Torend Collins discussed Florida’s work around EV adoption, explained how EVs can help tackle climate change and what’s hot in Tallahassee to support statewide EV adoption.
As Program Coordinator, Torend helps develop and execute campaigns advancing EDF’s Florida strategy on climate change. She is not just an EV advocate but also the proud owner of a 2013 Ford Focus electric vehicle named Sassy. She is also a lover of tacos (which pair well with pretty much any beer).
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2) Tag! You’re it.
by Peter Chaibongsai, Director of Conservation Program, The Billfish Foundation
We dove into the world of some of the fastest and largest fish in the world, the largest tagging database in the world, and the people working to protect them.
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3) Shattering the Stigma
by Crystal Miranda
In this presentation, we learned how to destigmatize mental health and normalize the struggles of the human condition. Crystal Miranda is a mental health professional, PhD in psychology student, and the founder of The Healthy Mind Movement. The Healthy Mind Movement is a Miami, FL based non-profit organization. It aims to promote mental wellness and self-growth through evidence-based information and community immersion.
Presented by University of Miami’s Graduate Student Association
January 28, 2021 at 7:30pm via Zoom and Facebook Live.
We’re kicking off 2021 with a special Nerd Nite featuring 3 Florida nerd bosses from Nerd Nites Miami and Orlando. Join us for a beer in your sweatpants on your couch and get to know some nerd bosses better.
Line Up:
1) Military Marine Mammals: Dolphins So Smart They Should Do A Nerd Nite Presentationby Laura Chaibongsai, Nerd Nite Miami Co-Boss and UM Grad Alum
The best humans in the US Navy and the most advanced technologies don’t hold a candle to the abilities of marine mammals, such as dolphins and sea lions, when it comes to certain undersea missions. The US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program features some of the most highly trained animals in the world. Laura will share what these animals do and what makes perfect for the job.
Laura is a Nerd Nite Miami Co-Boss and marine science nerd.
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2) Why Toy Story is the Greatest Franchise of All Timeby Ricardo Williams, Nerd Nite Orlando Boss
So the world shuts down for a year. Many people are locked away in their homes due to quarantine. What do you with all that time inside? Deep clean? Finally fix that wobbly table in the living room? Start that epic screenplay you’ve been toying around with in your head for the past decade?…. D.) None of the above. You binge watch your favorite TV and movie series! In this talk, Ricardo Williams will go over how 2020 led him to re-think the quality and viability of some of our most cherished cinematic universes and why Toy Story is atop them all.
Ricardo Williams is the host of Nerd Nite Orlando, founder of Orlando For Revolution, and the owner of SOVRINOS LLC. Ricardo is also a filmmaker and musician. Currently, he writes about culture, history, and produces the show, “NERDIER THINGS”.
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3) A Brief History of Underwear
by Melissa Blundell-Osorio, Nerd Nite Miami Co-Boss
You’ve probably never given much thought to why we’ve come to wear underwear, but the history of it is a fascinating one! This presentation will explore the various purposes and functions of underwear, how it evolved over the years to the modern-day garments we wear, and how cultural attitudes around sex and gender are reflected in these intimate items.
Melissa is a Nerd Nite Miami Co-Boss and the Director of Education at the Wilzig Erotic Art Museum. Her nerdy interests are in human behavior, psychology, and anthropology, particularly when it comes to human sexuality.
Join us through Facebook Live here:
https://www.facebook.com/NerdNiteMiamior through Zoom here:
https://zoom.us/j/96162775461
Thank you to our sponsor of this special event, UM’s Graduate Student Association. Can’t wait to have the UM students nerd out with us.
