1) Girls Gone Wild: Women Protecting South Florida’s National Parks by Gary Bremen
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas’s activism on behalf of the Everglades and other ecosystems is legendary, but she is far from the only woman who played a significant role in creating and protecting national parks in our area. Celebrate the centennial of women’s suffrage by meeting May Mann Jennings, Juanita Greene, Polly Redford and others who fought, and continue to fight, to create an environmental legacy here in South Florida.
Gary Bremen is a national park enthusiast, informal environmental educator, and a veteran Nerd Nite speaker.
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2) What’s Your Play Personality? by Amy Baez
Is it possible to believe in science and Facebook quizzes? What if knowing your play personality could help you live your best life? Learn how to avoid the consequences of play deprivation, and discover how some Miami locals let their inner brilliance shine through play in unexpected ways.
Amy Baez is an award-winning author, pediatric occupational therapist, and founder of Playapy. Her mission is to transform the lives of women and children through storytelling, play, and educational resources. She has spent the last six months on her computer playing with her young patients through a teletherapy platform and creating videos on YouTube to help parents worldwide generate new ideas for play at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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3) Alligators, Advocacy, and Aliens and in the Everglades by Ruscena Wiederholt & Keely Phillpotts
Do you like mosquitoes, snakes, dangerous predators, clean water, snorkeling, and birdwatching? Are you curious about the giant wetland in our backyard, the Everglades? The Everglades is one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in the world and the home for thousands of species. Learn about some of its more famous residents and what The Everglades Foundation is doing to protect and restore it.
Ruscena Wiederholt Ph.D. is a Quantitative Ecologist at The Everglades Foundation and Keely Phillpotts is a Program Coordinator at The Everglades Foundation.
Welcome foolish mortals to a special edition of Lizzie Bracken’s famous Haunted Mansion Spoiler Special – a glimpse into how some of our favorite ghosts appear throughout this beloved ride.
Lizzie is a designer, artist, and architect living in Chicago. She is currently an Architectural Designer at Jonathan Splitt Architects, Ltd. She is an award winning theatrical designer and former Assistant Professor of Theatrical Design and Technology at North Central College, and is also a company member with The Ruffians and Playmakers Laboratory (formerly Barrel of Monkeys) in Chicago. Lizzie has a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame, and a MFA in Theatrical Design from the University of Texas at Austin. ~ ~ ~
Have you tried turning it off and on again? By Morgan Van Arsdall
How has the Hubble Space Telescope managed to keep operating for the last 30 years? What happens when there’s a problem? Nerd out with a Hubble engineer and learn all about their operations and anomaly response! (Spoiler alert: they have definitely tried turning it off and on again!!)
Morgan Van Arsdall is the Systems Manager and an Anomaly Response Manager for the Hubble Space Telescope program. She has been part of the Hubble Mission Operations and Systems Engineering team since 2001, participating in the last two Hubble Servicing Mission and working to make sure Hubble keeps observing the universe. Morgan lives in Maryland with her husband, who is also an aerospace engineer, their two awesome kids, and a dog. ~ ~ ~
The (Not So) Hard Truth of Porn Star Sex: What I Learned About the Industry and How It Can Impact Your Sex Life by Justin Dubin, MD
Pornography has changed many people’s expectations and perceptions of sex. Sex sells, and when it comes to sex, everyone talks about wanting to perform like a porn star. But upon closer look, is that really what we want? Dr. Justin Dubin from the University of Miami is one of the first physicians to investigate the sexual health of pornstars and will provide you with insight into the (not so) hard truth of the sexual health of adult entertainers and how other interactions during sex may affect your love life. Make sure to join us on August 13 th for the titillating answers to all your questions.
Dr. Justin Dubin is a Chief Resident in the Department of Urology at the University of Miami. Justin grew up in Wayne, NJ before getting his BA in Biology at Johns Hopkins and later on getting his MD at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson. Justin plans on focusing his practice on Men’s Health, including Sexual Medicine, Andrology, and Male Infertility.
We missed you nerds so we are creating virtual Nerd Nites just for you! Thinking and Drinking at Home!
Nerd Nite is a monthly event during which several folks give fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines – while the audience drinks along. (It’s like the Discovery Channel… with beer!) Now from the comfort of your own home!
Your Digital ID and Security Steps by Oscar Orellana A presentation on my “digital ID”? What is that? Just like your social security number, which keeps track of who you are, the online world creates a bunch of ID’s that keep track of who you are. From your favorite drink at Starbucks (the tall, skinny, splash of soy, caramel, double espresso), your raging Netflix binges, and even what you do on your free time, there is an ID with your name attached to it. We’ll go over these items and the steps you can take to protect yourself a bit.
Bio: Oscar is an Information Technology enthusiast (aka Nerd to keep things simple) with a 10 year background in Service Desk, IT Management, Security, and Infrastructure. Currently working as a Sr. Infrastructure Engineer, leading the development of Azure, security controls, and day to day operations of the business infrastructure. Pretty much the person making sure you’re able to login to your computer every morning, not allowing you to stream ESPN/Novelas during office hours, and shooing away princes that want you to write a blank check to them so you can get paid out later.
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Pop Culture Nostalgia and Pop Culture Nostalgia and the Dangerous Obsession With a Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far Far Away by Ricardo Williams
Think about every single character or franchise that you have grown to love; there’s a good chance they’re all owned and/or distributed by the Walt Disney Company. Sure it’s cool that we’ll get to see the Fantastic Four and the X-Men on the big screen with the Avengers (someday) and yes, it’s great that Star Wars has creative and financial freedom on Disney+ to produce an incredible live action series like the Mandalorian– but the concentration of power under one powerful entity is traditionally not a good thing (just look at the stories of the previously mentioned properties for reference). In this talk, we’ll navigate the public’s dangerous obsession with pop culture and how Hollywood is laughing all the way to the bank from our unhealthy addiction.
Bio: Ricardo Williams is a program director, event organizer, digital influencer, and filmmaker. Since studying communications at Pace University in New York City, he’s appeared in commercials and independent films, composed soundtracks and produced albums, organized educational programming, and advised on political campaigns. He’s also guest lectured on film theory and video production at New York’s School of Visual Arts. Since 2013, Ricardo has organized and hosted Nerd Nite Orlando.
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Vote-By-Mail Myth Busting: Separating the Fact from the Fiction by Monica Skoko Rodriguez
Join the President of the League of Women Voters to learn about why all of us who are eligible to vote should sign up for Vote By Mail before the August primaries and learn more about using your voice to catalyze change in government.
Bio: Monica Skoko Rodriguez is the President of the League of Women Voters, the Director of the County’s Commission for Women, a nurse, organizer, and advocate. She holds a Masters degree in Public Health, is a public policy nerd, and upholds the millennial plant mom stereotype.
We joined forces with Nerd Nites across North America – from NYC to LA – to bring you a pandemic edition of your favorite educational drinking event. If you missed it, don’t worry! You can still watch it online! Enjoy!
