Posts By Mariah Bastin

Don’t Hide the Issue

In the children’s movie, Robots, Rodney Copperbottom grows up hearing his role model, Mr. Bigweld, teach the world, “see a need, fill a need.” I won’t ruin the movie for you, but let’s just say that he ends up living this mantra out to its fullest. What I love about the movie (aside from itsRead… Read more »

Accepting the Unexpected – Lessons from the Pope’s Visit

The pope is in D.C. and I got to see him yesterday during the Papal parade. Although the experience was unforgettable, the events leading up to the parade were nerve-racking and stressful. How could something so joyous bring me so much stress? As I strolled the streets of D.C. (at 5 AM) to head toRead… Read more »

Why IoT Is Needed in Gov

(For part one of our conversation with Deloitte, click here!) I used to run competitively in high school – specifically the 4X400 meter relay. The 4×400 is always the last race of the day and if you know anything about the 400 meter dash, you know that there is a strategy behind every move andRead… Read more »

Are Machines Going to Take Over My Job?

When I think about movies like Terminator or I, Robot I instantly worry about whether or not machines will take over my life. This might sound a bit dramatic or unreal, but it’s true. However, realistically though some jobs can now be done by machines. It’s both possible and logical to worry about whether orRead… Read more »

When Data Remains Data

Have you ever used something once and then put it aside where it only collects dust? Unfortunately, data often has the same type of journey. Typically data is collected and then put aside, never to be used again. Jeff Neal, Senior Vice President of ICF International, sat down with Christopher Dorobek on the DorobekINSIDER programRead… Read more »

How to Innovate Like Germany and Taiwan

It doesn’t take a genius mastermind to get the idea ball rolling. Innovation is for everyone and everyone can benefit from it. This was made clear in a recent report, The Global Flourishing of National Innovation Foundations, published by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Stephen Ezell, Director of Mobile Innovation Policy for the InformationRead… Read more »

How the Gov Got Rid of Chemical Weapons – Safely

On August 21st, 2013 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out an attacked that killed more than 1,400 Syrian civilians with sarin-a chemical weapon used as a nerve agent. In the wake of the attack, a worldwide call for action was launched to get rid of the chemical weapons stockpile. Timothy Blades, Director of Operations atRead… Read more »

No More Shaking the Foundation

Feeling the ground trembling beneath your feet can be an incredibly unnerving and freighting experience. One of the raging natural disasters the world has come to know over the years are earthquakes. Although our research on earthquakes has increased tremendously over the last few decades, we still deal with a lot of destruction and damageRead… Read more »

Balancing Your Metrics Portfolio

How do you measure the immeasurable? Things like human capital and human resources? Let’s be real, we want to know if we are properly investing in the right practices and the right people. But, the big question is how do we go about doing so? Kevin Desouza, the Associate Dean for Research at the CollegeRead… Read more »