Research Triangle Park

We will be participating in a trivia night event at Ballston Local in Arlington on Monday. Trivia starts at 7 pm. The location is in proximity to the Ballston Metro Station if you plan on taking public transportation. Parking: There may be free street parking in the nearby residential neighborhoods (perhaps between Wilson and Carlin Springs). Otherwise, paid street or paid parking garage (Ballston Quarter Mall is a garage a few blocks away). Maximum number of members on a team is 6. To ensure you get a spot on a trivia team: * Please arrive by 6:45 PM, or notify the hosts that you are running late by 6:45 PM. If you arrive after 6:45 or don't notify the hosts, you are not guaranteed a spot on a trivia team and may need to form your own, separate team. * Please RSVP so we know to expect you. Don't be like Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn from Wedding Crashers and crash a trivia event. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- If you have Instagram, you can check out our account at asiandiningandadventuregroup for photos and announcements of group outings!

Interested in giving back to your community, while meeting likeminded people along the way? Come grab a drink at El Rey to learn more! ---------------------------------------------------------- The Arlington Jaycees is the premier civic organization of Arlington and the surrounding DMV. We provide young adults [ages 21-40] with opportunities for community service and outreach, personal & professional growth, business networking, and social engagement. We are a local branch of the Junior Chamber International, which provides the opportunity to build lifelong connections both at home and abroad! **Build** your community. **Build** friendships. **Build** yourself. [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/arlingtonjaycees?igsh=ZHd0cml3ZXh2MXFu&utm_source=qr) for more 👀

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Wink, Nod, Kill,”** a look at implicit calls for violence and other speech that leads to bloodshed and threatens democracy, with Kurt Braddock, assistant professor of communications at American University and expert on terrorism. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-wink-nod-kill](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-wink-nod-kill) .] Over the last decade, President Donald Trump and many of his allies have used language that implicitly advocates for the use of violence without directing it outright. From telling the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” to suggesting that legal acts of Democratic lawmakers should be “punishable by death,” Trump has consistently suggested that violence is a viable means of addressing political grievances. Support for political violence—implicit or explicit—goes beyond the sort of spirited debate and disagreement upon which the American experiment was founded. It represents a gray area in the connection between violent language and violent acts, an area that Kurt Braddock has spent years studying. Learn about research on the connection between real bloodshed and coded language, dogwhistles, and implicit calls for violence with Dr. Braddock, who has conducted research on communication and terrorism for several national and international organizations, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of State, and the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism. Professor Braddock will give his audience a firm grounding in the concept of “stochastic terrorism,” or political violence spawned by vague calls to violent action. Tapping into decades of research on communication and decision-making and accounts of specific violent acts inspired by implicit orders, he’ll show us that the threat posed by implicit calls to violence is real. He’ll discuss whether implicit calls for violence represent a “new” form of political communication protected by the First Amendment, and he’ll describe the real-world dangers posed by these kinds of statements. Among the questions Dr. Braddock will tackle: Why do politicians use this language if they can reasonably assume that someone may be motivated by it to hurt someone else? Perhaps most importantly, what can we do about it, especially given the sacrosanctity of the First Amendment? His talk promises to give you a much more sophisticated understanding of recent events and a clearer sense of what might lie ahead. (Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Right-wing pundit and podcaster Steve Bannon routinely uses violent rhetoric. (Photo by Nordiske Mediedager / Creative Commons. )

DCC's "Monday Moves" City Tour to DC Monuments and Points of Interest Join DCC and Conte’s Bike Shop (Navy Yard) for a fun 20 mile ride to the Capitol, Hains Point, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, MLK, Jr. Memorial, National Park Services Stables, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, Monument, DC Wharf, Titanic Memorial, Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge, Morris Road Overlook. This ride will be geared towards our newer riders (with a chill pace and no one left behind), but all are welcomed. This ride will be on the streets, trails and sidewalks. We will go over things to help riders become more comfortable with riding in groups. We will meet at Conte’s Navy Yard Bike Shop at 10 am and depart at 10:15. All riders should bring their own hydration and nutrition, as well as a spare inner tube. *** Please, no music that can be heard by other riders or ear headphones that impede your hearing. Parking is limited at the Navy Yard, so for those driving, an option is to park at Anacostia Park (aquatic center) and take 11th street bridge to M Street, then a left on 4th. ****all riders ride at their own risk**** If there is a chance of inclement weather expected on Monday, a cancelation notice will be posted by 9:00 pm on Sunday; otherwise, the ride will take place. Below is a link to the ride: (~18 miles and ~586 ft of elevation) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41286640

It's Indie Dev Night! Bring your games that you've made, your game idea, or just your passion for game development! This is an informal event to talk game development with like-minded folks. We'll be hosting this IN PERSON at the MLK Jr. Library in room 401-F Closing Time at the library: 8:30 PM

Let's return to one of our favorite spots to play - William Jeffrey's Tavern! WJT is a real good venue for playing the popular Pour House Trivia game. This place is less noisy than many trivia venues, and they have real good food! It is a 7:00 pm game, but you should try to arrive at least 15 minutes earlier to find us and get settled. There might be some street parking available, but there is also a parking garage for the building around back with free validated parking. The place is also on a frequent bus line from Pentagon City metro. This event is limited to seven people, so sign up now to save your spot for this fun trivia option!

On Monday, we'll meet in front of 2100 Clarendon Blvd (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=2100+Clarendon+Blvd&ll=38.889847,-77.084005&spn=0.009704,0.017531&hnear=2100+Clarendon+Blvd,+Arlington,+Virginia+22201&gl=us&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=38.890666,-77.085485&panoid=Vy-Mbkk_fU1USwuw4_R6SQ&cbp=12,140.28,,0,0) around 6:50pm and head out for a nice hilly run at 7pm. We usually head out for a drink after the run. So if you're planning to stay after for drinks, bring your ID/etc. Notes: If you're not familiar with the area, please review the routes. If it's cold, take cover inside the foyer area of 2100 Clarendon Blvd. Photos taken during the event may end up on Instagram, Meetup, Strava and similar platforms. Routes: We'll alternate between the following routes. Both routes are hilly. We'll run 20 minutes out and then turn around and run 20 minutes back to Courthouse. Everyone runs at his/her own pace, so the distance will depend on your speed. 1. Courthouse to Georgetown Waterfront (one giant hill) (https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6264227038/) Veitch St. to the Custis Trail; downhill to Key Bridge; over to the Georgetown Waterfront. 2. Courthouse to Custis Trail West (rolling hills) (https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6600124130) Veitch St. to the Custis Trail; West toward Glebe Rd. Pace: All paces are welcome! We'll be doing an out and back route, so everyone will just turn around at the halfway time marker. That way we should all start and end at the same time. Free Parking at Courthouse Plaza: The underground garage (http://tiny.cc/OmKZx) is on Clarendon Blvd btwn Wayne and Veitch Sts. (near Strayer/CVS and the AMC Theater). If the first 2 levels on the left are full, you can park on the lower levels to the right. Street and Surface Parking lots should be free in the area as well. Metro: Orange or Silver line to Courthouse Station.

**Greetings, GeoDC Friends!** **We're back this month for a Meetup on Wednesday, March 11th at Sudhouse DC.** **This month, we'll have our usual networking chats, job and event announcements and lightning talks from our community members.** **\>\>Please complete this form if you would like to present next week or any other upcoming MeetUp event\. :** [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10Yj1-BOBXHqtoepJNW2X1WRzmdMjvbBPB8F5fgu5Lhk](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10Yj1-BOBXHqtoepJNW2X1WRzmdMjvbBPB8F5fgu5Lhk) **Speaker Lineup** **David Bleecker: Open Source Mapping of Gravity Anomalies: What They Are and What We Can Learn** * *This talk will be an introduction to bouguer anomalies (aka gravity anomalies) in the field of geophysics, and the application of bouguer anomaly maps to modern GIS tools. The first section will be an overview of what a bouguer anomaly is, how to interpret maps of bouguer anomalies, and how the modern space-based bouguer anomaly mapping satellites work. The second section will focus on the results obtained by analysis of the bouguer anomaly map data taken from the best available public dataset (GGMPlus), with an emphasis on specific locations that are especially prominent anomalies, what geology and geophysics tells us about what the causes of these localized anomalies may be, and (time permitting), a brief foray into some of the unanswered scientific questions that remain regarding the cause of certain localized anomalies.* *\***We're getting a jumpstart to Spring Cleaning this year as well.\**** **On March 11, we will have GeoDC's first-ever Geo-Swag Swap.** * **If you've been to any conferences or trainings lately, you may have found yourself wondering 'how in the WORLD did I accumulate so much stuff?'** * **Bring your unused or lightly used Geo Themed SWAG to Sudhouse DC on the 11th.** * **The Swag Swap table will be by the staircase, right as you enter into the event space on the 3rd floor.** * **Please take what you need/want from the table; all unwanted items will be donated or recycled** ***-You do not need to bring Swag to particpate.*** ***\- Examples of Swag: notebooks\, mousepads\, pint glasses\, tote bags\, pens\, pins\, stress balls\, decals\, lens cleaners\, rulers\, magnets\, laser pointers\, lip balm\, etc\.*** **Looking forward to seeing everyone next week!**

Join the Spooky Beaver Trail Crew maintaining 37 miles of hiking paths in historic Prince William Forest Park (PWFP), Triangle, VA , a unit of the National Park Service (NPS). We will be rebuilding a foot bridge and doing vegetation control activities along the trails in the park. Wear hiking shoes, long pants and dress for the weather; bring day pack, water (at least two quarts but more if hot weather), bug spray, trail lunch, safety glasses, work gloves, and any medications that might be needed (inhaler, epi pen, etc.). All tools and equipment provided. Meet at the Turkey Run Education Center (TREC) parking lot by 9:00 am. We typically work until 2:30 pm, but you can leave as you like. Be sure to check meetup on Friday Aug. 8. If inclement weather is predicted the event may be canceled.

**DC Service Jam is back.** This March, SD:DC is hosting the DC edition of Global Service Jam 2026 week. We are part of a worldwide movement of designers, strategists, and curious minds who come together to build real service concepts from scratch. From **Saturday March 14 to Sunday March 15**, you'll work in a small team around a secret theme revealed at kick-off. No briefs, no client. Just hands-on design, rapid prototyping, and plenty of Post-its. This year we're bringing AI into the mix. Throughout the weekend we'll look at how AI tools can support service design work, as a sensemaking tool, to build artifacts faster, and to push prototypes further. **WHAT TO EXPECT** **Saturday March 14th** * **9 - 10am:** social / breakfast (theme reveal + team formation) * **10am - 6pm:** full day of research, ideation, and prototyping (meals provided) * **6:30pm (optional):** social / happy hour (nearby bar) **Sunday March 15th** * **9 - 10am:** social / breakfast * **10am - 12pm:** finalize prototyping & storytelling * **12pm - 2pm:** present your work and share what DC made with the world **WHO SHOULD COME** You don't need to be a service designer. If you're a UX or product designer, strategist, public servant, researcher, or just someone curious about how services actually work, you're welcome here. **LOGISTICS** * **Dates:** Saturday March 14th & Sunday 15th (ending at 2pm) * **Venue:** SteamPunk, McLean, VA * **Capacity:** 50 spots only (first come, first served) * **Attendee fee:** $60\* (covers meals, materials, and space) *\* If the fee is a barrier for you, we have a limited number of discounted tickets available, just reach out to Sergio Venegas directly for a code.* **WHAT TO BRING** ✔️ An open mind and a willingness to make things ✔️ Laptop and charger ✔️ Curiosity about Service Design (no experience needed) **Follow SD:DC on LinkedIn and @DCServiceJam on Instagram for updates!** \*\*\* Many thanks to our host and sponsor, **SteamPunk** *Design. Disrupt, Repeat. Steampunk is anchored by a startup culture with a customer-centered delivery approach. We put our Federal government clients in the center of everything we design, develop, and deliver to drive high quality mission impacts and user experiences at speed.*

**Join us for the APP mid-week training ride at Anacostia Park.** **This is a structured paceline workout designed to build fitness and group riding skills.** **📍 Meet: Anacostia Park – Skating Pavilion** **🕖 Roll Out: Wednesdays at 7:00 AM** **Ride Format** **• Starts around 18 mph** **• Speed increases every 4-mile loop** **• Ride as many laps as you can hold** **Bring lights, good energy, and be ready to roll at 7:00 sharp.** **See you at the park 🚴‍♂️**

We’re excited to continue building AI in Practice with our monthly social! 🎉 Each month, we’ll host an informal happy hour and dinner at Upside on Moore in Rosslyn. Come join fellow AI builders, professionals, and curious minds for a relaxed evening of conversation, connection, and community. Whether you’re working on AI systems, advising on responsible adoption, or just interested in how AI is shaping law, compliance, finance, healthcare, defense, software, mission-driven organizations, or public service — this is a chance to meet like-minded people and help shape what this community becomes. 🍸 Drinks and food are available for purchase at the venue. 🤝 No formal agenda — just introductions, networking, and sharing what excites us about AI in practice. We’re so grateful for the early enthusiasm, and we look forward to seeing you each month as this community grows! **Date, Time & Location** 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Thursday 23 October 2025 Upside on Moore 1831 Moore Street Arlington, VA 22209

Agricultural Research Center Toastmasters is conducting a 5-session Public Speaking Workshop. The sessions will be held in person on Wednesdays March 4-April 1, 2026 at 5:00-7:00 pm. This workshop will (1) help you overcome nervousness, (2) boost your self-confidence, (3) make you a more organized speaker, and (4) teach you 'secrets' of public speaking. Email contact-3039@toastmastersclubs.org for more information. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ARE YOU READY FOR A LIFE-CHANGING, CAREER-ENHANCING EXPERIENCE? The Agricultural Research Center Toastmasters in Beltsville, Maryland meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month to practice our communication and leadership skills. We follow the educational program of Toastmasters International. We have great success individually and as a group. Our members are from different cultures and backgrounds. Several of us are scientists for the US Department of Agriculture. Others work at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Our members also are tax preparers, translators, and teachers. Each year in the spring we hold a beginners class. The next class will be in March 2026. Visit our webpage at http://arc.toastmastersclubs.org/ .

ike Turkey Run Park- Pho Lunch, VA Sunday March 8 With winter weather receding, this is a great way to fight cabin fever and head back outside with views of the Potomac. This is a 3 to 4 mile loop hike along the Potomac River just below the American Legion bridge off the GW parkway. The trail is mostly easy and flat, but there are some slightly rocky areas. Be aware that this time of year where segments along the river can be muddy and there are some rocky areas we must maneuver around. Bring a mascot! The park is dog-friendly, but must be on a leash. For more info and maps (see side links): [https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/turkeyrun.htm](https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/turkeyrun.htm) What to Bring: Good hiking shoes Water Meet: 9:00 am Where: Parking Lot C-1. (First parking lot when entering park. See map at link below for details) Park Trail Map: [https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/upload/Corrected-Turkey_Run_Park_Trail_Map_11242023_508c.pdf](https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/upload/Corrected-Turkey_Run_Park_Trail_Map_11242023_508c.pdf) Departure: 9:10 sharp. We should return to the parking lot no later than 11:15 am. For those interested, we can later head over to nearby Pho 75 (1721 Wilson Blvd) for a great hot pho - one of the best in the area. **Note: Cash Only!** **In the comments section please indicate if you need a ride. If you are coming by car and wouldn’t mind picking someone up at a convenient metro stop, please indicate how many people you can take. Hopefully we’ll have enough room for everyone. I can pick up three at the Braddock Road metro (yellow), located in Alexandria, VA. Or, I can pick up folks at Rosslyn metro (orange/blue). Carpoolers, please chip in generously for gas.** Note: This event is cross-posted with other Meetup groups.

One of the most valuable parts of this community is the opportunity to think out loud with other product professionals. This session is built for exactly that. As we wrap up the quarter, it’s a great time to pause and reflect. What’s on track? What needs adjustment? Where could a small shift create bigger impact? Join fellow product professionals for a focused, interactive conversation designed to help you recalibrate for the next quarter. You’ll have the opportunity to share where you are, hear how others are thinking through similar challenges, and gain fresh perspective you can bring back to your team and organization. We’ll gather at 8:00AM, with discussion starting promptly at 8:15AM. 📍 First Watch - 7227 N High St Located in: The Shops at Worthington Ample parking is available. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Start your morning with clarity and connection — we hope to see you there! ☀️

This month, we are in-person at GameArena!!! We will also be joined by students and their games from [Shawnee State](https://www.shawnee.edu/game-design-programs)! \-\-\- Join us for our our monthly COGG Prototype and Play event @GameArena! Come to play and showcase your games. We're back in the upper levels of the catwalk mezzanine area. It'll be packed with lots of camaraderie playing your game(s) and other's games on the 2nd floor as well as the 1st floor in the gaming room below the mezzanine. Light snacks and water provided but you can buy food and drinks at the bar (alcoholic drink ID required). [https://www.game-arena.co/menu](https://www.game-arena.co/menu) **Attendees:** Don't have a game to show? Not a problem! All are welcomed and invited from all ages and backgrounds. The more we can have to play test our games the better! **Developers:** Do you have a game that you would like to get critical feedback on? Would you like an excuse to work on a game with other talented artists, programmers, musicians, designers, and writers? Digital, table-top, non-experienced developers, and the like are welcomed! We'll provide signage for your game to help others learn more about your work. Wifi, outlets, tables, and seats (though standing tables also) are available. Come to the Prototype and Play workshop to collaborate and meet local game developers for an evening of epic and raw game play fun! Play works-in-progress, show off your own game, work with others to add polish to a game, or even lend your talents to other fellow developers. Can use South Garage at the Gateway with a $5 voucher on your way out. 75 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9) If you have any questions or comments, as always, feel free to reach out to us at [info@thecogg.com!](http://info@thecogg.com!/)

Discover Kiro, AWS’s innovative development environment that adapts to your workflow. Whether you prefer specification-driven development or a more intuitive, vibe-based approach, Kiro empowers you to build applications your way. In this session, speakers will explore Kiro’s core functionality and its evolution through re:Invent 2025, along with demonstrations of prompts used to create APIs, hooks, and steering documents. In the latter part of the session, watch as we build a complete example from scratch, showcasing Kiro’s agentic AI workflow in action for spec-driven development and vibe coding. What You'll Learn - Core Kiro concepts and development philosophy Feature evolution: pre and post re:Invent 2025 Practical examples: API creation, hooks, and steering docs Live coding demonstration with real-time problem solving Who Should Attend - Developers, solutions architects, and technical leaders interested in modern AWS development tools and AI-assisted coding workflows. **Speakers Bio:** Matthew Jorat: Matthew Jorat is a Customer Solutions Manager at AWS with nearly three decades of expertise in AI, cloud transformation, migration, modernization, IT, technology, and business. His career spans infrastructure engineer, solutions architect, security auditor, customer success director, support and services director, and operations officer. He was an early adopter of AWS services as a customer, and his current role at AWS uniquely blends his technical and business skills as he partners with executive teams to translate strategic priorities into measurable business outcomes through cloud adoption, AI implementation, and operational excellence. Matt leads end-to-end AI initiatives for enterprise customers, identifying high-impact use cases and maintaining relentless focus on measurable ROI. He holds eight AWS certifications and serves as Adjunct Professor at Franklin University teaching cloud computing and AWS architecture. His expertise encompasses GenAI, agentic AI systems, migration, modernization, and optimization strategies that drive transformation at scale. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/) Girish Bhatia: Girish Bhatia is a seasoned technology delivery leader with deep expertise in cross-domain program management. He holds multiple AWS certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Developer – Associate, and AWS Generative AI Practitioner, and is also an AWS Community Builder. Girish brings over two decades of experience in the information technology industry. Throughout his career, Girish has led major technology-driven business transformation from modernizing on-premises applications to driving large-scale cloud migrations. His work includes API-based integration platforms, data-center and mainframe modernization, and enterprise cloud adoption initiatives. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Girish works at a tech-forward fintech company. He is passionate about AWS serverless architectures, Generative AI and emerging cloud technologies. An avid learner and builder, he continues to explore and apply the latest innovations in AWS to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/[https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/) **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** TBD **YouTube Link** TBA