BEA |
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A State-by-State Peek into Americans’ Shopping Carts
Mr. Ian Mead, Chief, Regional Product Division, Bureau of Economic Analysis
Date: July 21, 2015
Consumers are a major force shaping the overall performance of the U.S. economy but until recently there were no official government statistics tracking how much consumers spend and what they buy state by state. Ian Mead, an economist at the Bureau of Economic Analysis, will talk about state-by-state differences as well as trends in shoppers’ buying behavior revealed with the release of BEA’s new statistics. This state-by-state peek into consumers’ shopping carts has implications for hiring, business investment and consumer confidence.
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How BEA Tracks the Health of America’s Businesses
Erich Strassner, Chief, Industry Applications Division, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Date: April 30, 2015
Did you ever wonder how much economic activity is generated at factories, retail stores, educational outlets, and other industries? Which industries are helping the U.S. economy to grow and which ones are restraining growth. For decades, BEA has taken the pulse of the U.S. economy and reported on it each quarter. But what wasn’t known – until recently – is how industries factor into the economy’s performance each quarter. Armed with this new economic intel, businesses, jobseekers and policymakers can make more informed decisions.
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The Impact of Arts and Culture on the Economy
Paul Kern, Branch Chief, Travel and Tourism, Bureau of Economic Analysis, BEA
Date: January 29, 2015
Arts and Culture – they’re not only good for the soul, but for the economy, too. Paul Kern, an economist at the Bureau of Economic Analysis, discusses the economic impact of arts and culture on the U.S. economy – from the billions generated to the jobs spurred.
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Census |
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Census Data for Business Insights
Andrew Hait, Economist; International Trade Management Division at the U.S. Census Bureau
Date: August 1, 2018
Learn how to use the Census Business Builder (CBB) to help your clients harness the power of Census data to identify business opportunities and understand the U.S. business landscape. The CBB is a suite of services that provide selected demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau tailored to specific types of users in a simple to access and use map-based format.
This presentation will:
- Demonstrate live real-life use cases to showcase how user data can help businesses and communities thrive by helping them make informed decisions.
- Help Commerce employees find, access, and use unknown tools and programs to make accessible amazing amounts of Commerce produced data that can be useful for customers.
- Feature tools which include mapping software overlaid with U.S. demographic and economic data.
- Explore the newly updated features and content and provide a brief summary of the tech behind CBB.
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Making Key Data User-Friendly
Andrew Hait, Data Product & Data User Liaison for the International Trade Management Division, US Census Bureau
Date: March 8, 2017
For decades, the U.S. Census Bureau has collected and disseminated data, and now, with the implementation of new technologies under the Census Business Builder (CBB), users are able to access and use this data in ways never seen before. This presentation will feature new tools that include mapping software overlaid with U.S. demographic and economic data; help Commerce employees find, access, and use unknown tools and programs to make accessible amazing amounts of Commerce produced data that can be useful for customers; and highlight how user data can help businesses and communities thrive by helping them make informed decisions.
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A World Apart - Comparing Today’s Young Adults to Baby Boomers
Dr. Jonathan Vespa, Fertility and Family Statistics Branch, U.S. Census Bureau
Date: July 14, 2015
This talk features an interactive app, Census Explorer, that showcases how today’s young adults compare to baby boomers. Using the app, Jonathan Vespa, a demographer at the Census Bureau, discusses how our cities and neighborhoods have transformed since 1980, by mapping changes in where young adults live and their shifting demographic characteristics.Today’s young adults look different from their parents’ generation, but their experiences aren’t the same across the country.
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Is Demography Destiny? Population Projections Provide a New Sneak Peak into How the Future May Unfold
Dr. Jennifer Ortman, Assistant Division Chief for Social Characteristics, Social, Economic, & Housing Statistics Division, U.S. Census Bureau
Date: May 21, 2015
This presentation provides an introduction to the Census Bureau’s Population Projections program and includes results from the 2014 National Projections, with a focus on the aging of the U.S. population.
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EDA |
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Commerce Data In Action: Creating Jobs & Saving Lives
Ian Kalin, Chief Data Officer, US Department of Commerce
Date: May 25, 2016
Ian Kalin, DOC's first-ever Chief Data Officer, shares the Department's Data Strategy and also his vision for how our data resources can create jobs and save lives. Ian shares examples from every Commerce Bureau that demonstrates how our data is being used by companies and also how modernization initiatives within Commerce are empowering our teams to better accomplish their missions.
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ESA |
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DOC's Chief Economist on The White House Supply Chain Innovation Initiative
Dr. Susan Helper, Chief Economist, Economics & Statistics Administration
Date: May 6, 2015
Chief Economist Dr. Sue Helper discusses the supply chain innovation initiative recently announced by the President, in which the Department of Commerce is playing a key role. White House-Department of Commerce report, Supply Chain Innovation: Strengthening America's Small Manufacturers.
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NIST |
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Supporting Cybersecurity Education at NIST
Rodney Petersen, Director, National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), NIST
Date: October 25, 2018
Mr. Petersen spoke about how NICE seeks to energize and promote a robust network and an ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development.
Watch the recording to learn more:
- What is NICE and how does it fit into NIST?
- How has NICE responded to Executive Order 13800 on Protecting the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructures?
- What are the benefits of an “earn while you learn” model to develop a highly-skilled cybersecurity workforce?
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See Differently with Neutrons at NIST
Robert M. Dimeo, Director, NIST Center for Neutron Research
Date: March 15, 2016
NIST is home to the NIST Center for Neutron Research, a major multidisciplinary research facility serving over 2000 researchers from U.S. industry, academia, and government agencies. In this presentation Dr. Dimeo describes why neutrons are indispensable in research, why neutrons are in such high demand from the research community, how NIST operates the NCNR as a national user facility, and the policy environment for neutron scattering user facilities.
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Flexible Electronics
Dr. Dean DeLongchamp, Project Leader: Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics, NIST
Date: October 20, 2015
Since the invention of semiconducting organic molecules in the 70’s, they have enabled the development of a wide variety of new flexible electronics devices including transistors, solar cells, and displays. Dr. DeLongchamp discusses the fundamentals of this technology and the important properties of materials that drive these exciting new applications.
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Magnetism in the Nano World
Dr. Robert Shull, NIST Fellow, Material Measurement Laboratory, NIST
Date: July 30, 2015
Learn how these nanostructured materials are one of the reasons for the excitement surrounding today’s global “Nanotechnology Revolution.” You will also learn about the unique domain kinetics of these materials, their “Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR)” effects, and their "Enhanced Magnetocaloric Effects."
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Using Fire Dynamics Research to Save Firefighters
Daniel Madrzykowski, Engineering Laboratory/Fire Research Division, NIST
Date:March 26, 2015
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 provided NIST with the mission to conduct basic and applied fire research for the purposes of understanding fire behavior and to reduce losses from fire. Since the program began in the 70’s great strides have been made in improving the fire safety of civilians and reducing the number of structure fires. Unfortunately injuries and fatalities of firefighters are not being reduced at the same rate, in fact the rate of firefighter fatalities on the fire ground has increased. Why? The presentation will explore this topic and features videos of real scale fire experiments.
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Human Identity Testing Using DNA
Dr. Peter Vallone, Leader, Applied Genetics Group, Biomolecular Measurement Division, NIST
Date: March 12, 2015
Learn how NIST's Applied Genetics Group is providing standards for forensic laboratories, developing new DNA typing technologies, and evaluating novel genetic markers to assist the forensic community.
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Nanotechnology Standardization: Sweating the Small Stuff
Ajit Jillavenkatesa, Senior Standards Policy Adviser, NIST
Date: February 19, 2015
Nanomaterials are all around us – from naturally occurring soot particles, to aircraft components, and as a key element of many sunscreens. Nanomaterials were even used by ancient Romans more than 1,500 years ago to create beautiful goblets. Yet, today, “nano” generate both excitement and concern. While nanotechnology offers the promise of stronger and lighter materials, new approaches to medical treatment, etc., many are concerned about the safety of these materials. International standardization often brings out the best and worst aspects of cooperation and competition. This talk takes a lighthearted look at how processes for developing what have been traditionally science and technology-focused tools are being asked to consider and address societal and consumer issues, and how this may impact us as both citizens and DOC employees.
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NIST's Pocket-Sized Chemistry
Dr. Wyatt N. Vreeland, Research Chemical Engineer, Material Measurement Laboratory, NIST
Date: November 12, 2014
Right now you probably have a computer in your pocket that's more powerful than the sum total of the entire world’s computing power available just 40 years ago. But you probably don't have a "chemistry lab" in your pocket with the capability of all the chemistry labs in the world 40 years ago...yet. Today we can sequence a human genome in a few days for a few thousand dollars, a task that at the turn of the century took 13 years and cost almost $3 billion. This is made possible as we make “microchips” that do what was previously done in beakers and test tubes. During this presentation, you will learn how research at NIST is helping us move closer to putting that “chemistry lab” in your pocket.
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NIST and the Lightweight Auto Body of the Future: Next-Generation Tools To Make Road Vehicles Safer and More Efficient
Dr. Tim Foecke, Director, Center for Automotive Lightweighting, NIST
Date: November 06, 2014
Learn how NIST’s Center for Automotive Lightweighting (NCAL) is helping to create a set of tools that will enable a more efficient design process for the lightweight, multimaterial auto body of the future, saving fuel, emissions and cost.
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Can You Build a House That Provides Free Energy to a Family of Four for an Entire Year?
Dr. A. Hunter Fanney, Engineering Laboratory/Energy and Environment Division, NIST
Date: October 24, 2014
The NZERTF (Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility) was constructed on NIST's Gaithersburg, Maryland campus. During the past year, this lab-in-disguise was used to demonstrate that a home similar in size, aesthetics, and amenities to those found in the Washington D.C. area can generate as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis while meeting the needs of a virtual family of four. During this presentation, you will discover just how many virtual dollars NIST's virtual family of four saved on their energy bills, and what environmentally-friendly technology, building materials, and construction techniques got them there. You will also learn of NIST's future plans for the home and its virtual family.
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NOAA |
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Forecasting the Ferocious: The Predictive Science Behind NWS Forecasts for Tornadoes and Floods
Greg Carbin, Chief of Forecast Operations for the NWS Weather Prediction Center, NOAA
Date: October 25, 2016
Despite tremendous advances in technology, meteorological prediction is still a mix of art and science. This presentation will describe the challenges of forecasting Nature's most destructive and deadly storms. The Department of Commerce's NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC), in Norman, Oklahoma, is the nation's leading operational center for tornado and severe thunderstorm forecasting. The talk will focus on how our scientific understanding of thunderstorm formation is used at SPC to predict the occurrence of tornadoes through human pattern recognition and massive data assimilation. Similar techniques are also applied to the challenge of predicting deadly flash flood events. The NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC), in College Park, Maryland, is the operational hub and center of expertise responsible for heavy precipitation prediction. The talk will conclude with a look at the many other services provided by WPC, as well as a summary of the six other National Centers for Environmental Prediction located in the D.C. area, Boulder, Miami, and Kansas City.
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Protecting Peru's Precious Ocean & Coastal Resources
Ole Varmer, Attorney-Advisor, NOAA
Date: May 4, 2016
Ole Varmer discusses the recent opportunity he had to travel to Peru through our US Embassy in Lima and assist Peru's Ministry of Environment. His work on integrated coastal management and marine spatial planning, particularly plans for marine protected areas, highlight the importance to the world that these areas are preserved and sustainably developed, and thus the reason DoS and NOAA provide a lot of technical assistance and capacity building, including legal assistance.
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NOAA’s Digital Coast: Actionable Information for Coastal Communities
Josh Murphy, NOAA Office for Coastal Management
Date: April 19, 2016
The Digital Coast is an information resource developed for those who manage the nation's coasts. This web-based enabling platform provides access to the geospatial data, tools, training, and case studies that can be used by communities to address such issues as coastal hazards, land use planning, and climate change. The effort is supported by the Digital Coast Partnership, composed of national-level organizations representing coastal managers at the local, state, and national scales, who provide content for the website, information on priority issues, and feedback on decision support tools.
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Mapping the Ocean Floor from Space
Dr. Walter H.F. Smith, Geophysicist, Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry, NOAA
Date: November 19, 2015
Depth measurements cover only about ten percent of Earth’s ocean floor. The topography of the bottom in unmeasured areas has been inferred indirectly, using satellite radar measurements of sea level to measure gravity anomalies on the ocean surface that reveal the presence of mountains and valleys on the sea floor. This talk looks at the present state of knowledge of global ocean bottom depth, shape and roughness, what is and isn’t known, what the consequences are, why they matter, and what the prospects are for improvements in the future.
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NOAA's Law of the Sea: Reclaiming Buried Treasure in the "Black Swan" Case
James A. Goold, Covington and Burling LLP and Dr. James P. Delgado, NOAA
Date: June 4, 2015
Mr. Goold and Dr. Delgado describe their work on the famous landmark legal case concerning more than half a million silver coins recovered from a deep water site off the coast of Portugal by a commercial salvage firm, Odyssey Marine Exploration.
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NOAA's Law of the Sea: Titanic Revisited
Craig McLean, Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Date: April 9, 2015
Craig McLean chronicles the story of RMS Titanic. Learn about his research on the Californian's proximity to Titanic that fateful night, NOAA's Titanic Guidelines for Exploration, Research & Salvage, and NOAA's joint expeditions with Dr. Robert Ballard. In this lively and engaging presentation, you will learn some first hand experiences about NOAA's work on perhaps the most famous shipwreck and about ocean exploration that has had an impact on our culture, law, and the world for generations
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The Quest for the Northwest Passage
James P. Delgado, PhD, Director of Maritime Heritage, NOAA
Date: February 10, 2015
In an illustrated presentation, James Delgado tells the story of the ships, people and the landscape of the Northwest Passage, linking images and old charts to the surviving relics of one of the longest and costliest endeavors in the annals of exploration.
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NOAA's Journey In Ocean Exploration
Craig McLean, Acting Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Date: October 30, 2014
Join Craig McLean as he chronicles the story of ocean exploration from its humble, noble beginnings through its modern-day landmark achievements to a glimpse of the future-forward, ground-breaking research propelling this program for the years ahead. In this lively and engaging presentation, you will learn what we know--and yet still don't know--about the ocean and its inhabitants and what methods scientists take to coax out new discoveries. You will also find out just how much ocean exploration impacts you, the economy, and nation as a whole.
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The Coast Survey (Part Two: The World Wars)
Captain Albert E. "Skip" Theberge, NOAA Corps (ret.)
Date: October 07, 2014
The Second World War marked the finest hour of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (C&GS). Following in the wake of the World War I law that established a commissioned service in the C&GS, over half of the officer contingent as well as 1100 civilians from the Survey served in the armed forces of the United States. Three major ships of the Survey were transferred into the Navy and served from the Aleutians to Guadalcanal. On the homefront, Coast Surveyors produced nearly 100 million maps and charts for Allied operations. For good measure, they also designed a world aeronautical chart system that was adopted by the International Civil Aeronautical Organization following the war. Join the Coast Survey as it helps put "iron on target", map uncharted reefs and islands of the Pacific, and help bring the world into a new era following the war.
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The Coast Survey (Part One: The Civil War)
Captain Albert E. "Skip" Theberge, NOAA Corps (ret.)
Date: September 9, 2014
Dating from 1807, the United States Coast Survey is the oldest science agency in the United States Federal Government and served the Union Cause during the American Civil War. Coast Surveyors marched with the Union Army, serving under fire as topographers, scouts, and aides-de-camp in all major theaters of the conflict, and produced some of the most outstanding maps and graphics of the War. The Coast Survey was instrumental in formulating Union strategy, from its involvement on the Blockade Strategy Board, to conducting artillery surveys, to the famous “ Slavery Map”, which both garnered support for the Union cause and was consulted by Lincoln as he attacked the heart of the Confederacy.
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NTIA |
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Cybersecurity
Allan Friedman, PhD, Director of Cybersecurity, NTIA
Date: October 26, 2017
In this session, Allan will cover the following:
- What do we mean by ‘cybersecurity’?
- How does cybersecurity affect your field, and how can you engage?
- What is NTIA doing on cybersecurity policy?
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Radio Spectrum: the Oxygen for Our Everyday Lives
Paige Atkins, Associate Administrator, Office of Spectrum Management, NTIA
Date: January 14, 2016
In managing all Federal government use of wireless spectrum, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) plays a unique role by meeting the increasing radio spectrum needs of the government and non-Federal users. Paige Atkins discusses wireless (or radio frequency) spectrum and spectrum management - what it is, how it is used, and the Department’s role in supporting and balancing the national and economic security interests of our nation.
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OS |
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Rising to the Challenge
Stephanie Mendez, Senior Management & Efficiency Analyst
Date: April 30, 2019
Commit to challenges, test your limit, and force yourself to achieve. This talk will emphasize ways to teach ourselves to break self-made barriers, reduce self-doubt, and allow ourselves to succeed at higher levels in the workplace and in life. Senior Management & Efficiency Analyst Stephanie Mendez will explain how ANYONE can make meaningful improvements to rise to greater challenges.
Join the Commerce Research Library for a presentation on inspiring personal and professional growth. Learn practical tips to increase productivity and lean into new challenges and allowing yourself to succeed. Stephanie will discuss:
- Identifying self-barriers
- Working through challenges, fears and self-doubt to lean into goals
- Raising the bar, committing and allowing yourself to rise to the challenge
- Applying to the real world, personally and professionally
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Boosting Office Efficiency
Stephanie Mendez, Senior Management & Efficiency Analyst
Date: September 25, 2018
Caught in the web of inefficient office workflows? Don’t let the tangle of complex procedures, measures, and statistics overwhelm you from making process improvements! Senior Management & Efficiency Analyst Stephanie Mendez will explain how ANYONE can make meaningful improvements in the workplace.
Join the Commerce Research Library for a presentation on inspiring efficiency. Learn practical tips to increase productivity and improve employee morale in your office. Stephanie will discuss:
- Symptoms of a dysfunctional process (or symptoms of a process in need)
- Anyone can do it, so where do we start?
- Simple steps to identify, analyze and improve existing business processes
- Practical guidance and examples for use in the everyday workplace
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Moving DOC IT into the 21st Century
Steve Cooper, Chief Information Officer
Date: February 23, 2016
Secretary Pritzker charged CIO Steve Cooper with transforming the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) organization to address key deficiencies in information technology (IT) services provided to DOC headquarters and Bureaus. Those key deficiencies included operational performance at the Herbert C. Hoover Building (HCHB) in wireless, teleconferencing and printing services for organizational performance as a result of a lack of collaboration across the Department. Mr. Cooper discusses the IT transformation agenda, capabilities, and operations across DOC to drive the business in a cost-effective and timely way.
(audio only)
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USPTO |
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Everyone is a Leader: How Leadership Development Training Can Help Your Career
Dr. Bill Brantley, Human Resources Specialist, Enterprise Training Division, USPTO
Date: October 4, 2017
What is Leadership Development Training? Learn how leadership development fits into your career and what courses PTO offers to strengthen the skills of employees.
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The Patent Office and China: 130 Years of Advocacy and Engagement
Mark Cohen, Senior Counsel, China, USPTO and Elaine Wu, Attorney, Office of Policy and External Affairs, USPTO
Date: February 2, 2016
Learn about USPTO’s China team and the work they do to serve as a resource and leader on Intellectual Property (IP) issues concerning China.
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Unleashing American Innovation
Vikrum Aiyer, Deputy Chief of Staff, US Patent and Trademark Office
Date: September 18, 2014
As the USPTO oversees reforms and challenges to the world’s strongest patent system, PTO Deputy Chief of Staff Vikrum Aiyer will discuss how the Department of Commerce's intellectual property agenda is helping unleash innovation in America, and advancing the President’s commitment to aligning federal policy to ensure entrepreneurs can flourish.
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