Nerd Nite Orlando - Nov 21, 2024

Nerd Nite Orlando returns to the legendary Stardust Video & Coffee on Thursday, Nov 21st. 

Hosted by Ricardo Williams

Guest speakers: 

Daniel Kaufman 

Katie Mathews

Jenny Truong

PRESENTATION #1:

“State Machines for Your Mental State” by Jenny Truong

What does state management and mental health have in common? We tend to think in the moment in life - I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm burnt out. But we sometimes fail to think about the transitions between the states - how did I become tired, burnt out, and how do I transition to a better state? Then, how do I avoid taking the transitions back to states I don't want to be in? Thinking in terms of states and transitions is a useful mental model not only for software development, but for understanding yourself and having better control of your life.

Jenny Truing is the Head of Operations and Developer Relations at Stately.ai. Jenny also dedicates her time to co-organizing Orlando JavaScript meetups. Jenny is a passionate advocate for her community, imparting valuable insights on mental awareness, state machines, and various collaborative tools. When she's not engaging with users or gracing the stage, you can spot Jenny at your favorite local donut shop, savoring the simple joys of life!

PRESENTATION #3

“Finding The Power of Mythology Using ‘The Gamer's Journey’” by Dr. Daniel Kaufmann

Dr. Daniel Kaufmann (aka: Dr. Gameology) is a YouTube Partner and also streams regularly on Twitch as @DrGameology and is on a never-ending quest to discuss mental health and video games to encourage audiences of all types to be their very best as they continue the journey. He is an Associate Professor at Grand Canyon University and has served in multiple roles related to program development for treating gambling and video game issues in clinical settings. His research on the psychology of player types has been presented internationally and continues to evolve with each new world players can inhabit across PCs and consoles.  

Dr. Kaufmann is a fearless advocate for the positive elements of video games, and credits them with many of the thought processes that have proved critical in helping him overcome professional and personal journeys in life. As a result, Dr. Kaufmann became more involved in the Geek Therapeutics community in 2020 as a presenter for online trainings, content writer, and author of the upcoming book entitled The Gamer’s Journey.