Dan Thyer CTO & Co-Founder of Logical Advantage gets involved in evolution of Charlotte IT Community

March 27, 2013 - PRLog -- Since starting his career in the diverse world of application development, Dan Thyer has been the cornerstone of mentoring efforts for up-and-coming IT talent.  With a track record that includes technology powerhouses, such as GM and Microsoft, Thyer’s résumé exudes the kind of experience and knowledge that can’t be outlined in standard textbooks.  Luckily for the techies-in-training, Thyer has committed to sharing his insights with the next generation through partnering with local educational institutes, creating lectures on evoking topics and generating an energetic buzz for weeks after.

His most recent involvement included a collaboration with Mike Linnen, the lead architect of Morehead Associates, where they taught a netdunio lab for the UNCC Association for Computing Machinery.  During the workshop, eager students were able to gain insight into this complex open source electronics platform through a simulated home security system.  

Thyer is also planning a discussion and lab for high school students, excelling in math and science at Summer Ventures, an enrichment program hosted by Appalachian State University.  This unique program provides scholarships to talented students who want to participate in the camp and is featured at many elite campuses throughout the Carolinas, including ASU, ECU, NCCU and UNCC.  

Thyer comments on not only the educational importance of this program, but also the social importance for excelled high school students:

“I attended the program myself back in the summer of 1988 at ASU, when I was a junior in high school, and the program was life changing for me.  Before that summer, I had never met other kids who were geeky like me and that wrote software programs for fun or built and invented cool stuff.”

In a nation where bullying has long been a challenge for our youths, these programs provide the techies of the future a platform to explore their interests and connect with other young folks who share the common bond.

“I was used to being picked on for my geeky-ness, but not there!” Thyer adds,  “I started a transformation in my own confidence after being around all of those talented people, including inspirational teachers and mentors”

Watch out 2013 attendees: Thyer claims to be planning “something epic” for this year's session.  The idea is to pull influences from engaging sources, like Kinect, netdunio and servos, and build an interactive machine controlled by gestures!  Techie or not, controlling anything by waving your hand is pretty darn awesome.

Through the integration of relatable content and captivating workshops, individuals like Dan Thyer bring overwhelming value to such programs.  So we join Dan and embrace our local geeks, because, laugh all you want, without them you’d never have met Siri or been able to play (and beat) Tiger Woods at 18 holes.