GovTech:​ ​Transforming​ ​Approaches​ ​to​ ​Delivery​ ​of​ ​USGS​ ​Water​ ​Data​ ​and​ ​Scientific​ ​Information

When: Thursday, August 24, 2017
Where: PGH 563
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Speaker: Mr. Sachin D. Shah & Mr. Daniel K. Pearson, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Host: Dr. Amin Alipour

Science,​ ​technology,​ ​and​ ​government​ ​play​ ​a​ ​large​ ​role​ ​in​ ​delivering​ ​data​ ​for​ ​everything​ ​from policy​decision-making​ ​to​ ​public​ ​safety​ ​during​ ​flood​ ​events.​ ​Government​ ​agencies​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the U.S.​ Geological Survey​ ​and​ ​National​ ​Weather​ ​Service,​ ​partnering​ ​with​ ​companies​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Twitter,​ ​can​ ​now help​ drive ​important​ ​data​ ​by​ ​developing​ ​web​ ​maps​ ​and data​​ visualization​ ​tools​for​ real-time​ ​open-data​ distribution.​ There​ ​is​ ​an​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​reach​ ​a​ ​wide​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​stakeholders ​ and​ ​demographic​ ​audiences​ ​when​ ​data visualization ​​is​ ​used​ ​in combination​ ​with ​social​​ ​media.​ ​These ​tools​​ have ​become​ ​an ​essential​ method​ for ​real-time science ​and​ natural ​hazard​ ​communication.​ ​The​​ ​speakers​ ​will ​provide ​an ​overview​ ​of the​ evolution​ ​of​ ​how​ ​the​ ​USGS ​​have​ ​incorporated​ ​web​ ​development,​ ​computer​ ​and​ ​data​ ​science​ ​into​ ​their integral ​mission​ ​​of​ ​providing​ ​unbiased scientific​ ​information. ​Demonstrations ​of​ recently​ released​ applications focusing​ ​​on​ ​flooding,​ subsidence,​ ​and​​ real-time​​ stream​ data​ ​will​​ ​be​ ​provided​ ​to​ ​give​ ​insights as to​ where​ computer​ ​scientists​ can​ ​help ​modernize​​ government​ ​for​ the​ ​people.

Bio:

Sachin​ ​D.​ ​Shah​ ​is​ ​the​ ​Chief​ ​of​ ​Hydrologic ​Studies​ at​ the​​ USGS​ Gulf​ Coast​ Program​ in​​ ​Houston, ​ Texas.​ Sachin​ ​oversees​ ​three​ ​primary ​programs​ ​in​ ​the​ region:​​ groundwater​ ​and​ ​subsidence,​ ​coastal​ ​studies, ​and​ lake​ ​studies.​ ​Sachin​ ​has​ ​been​ ​with​ ​the​ ​USGS​ ​for​ ​11​ ​years,​ ​primarily​ ​studying​ ​groundwater​ ​resources such​ ​as​ ​transboundary​ ​water​ ​concerns​ ​and water ​availability.​ Before​​ re-joining​ the​ USGS,​ Sachin​ spent​ 5​ years​ ​with​ ​the​ ​World​ ​Bank​ ​Water​ ​Program​ and​ 2​ years​ as​ a​​ Research​ Fellow​ with​ the​ Council​​ of​​ Energy,​ Environment ​and​ Water.​ Sachin​ earned​ a​ MA​ in International​ ​Development​ and​ Policy​ from​ LBJ​ School​ of​ Public​ ​Affairs​ at​ ​The​ University​ ​of Texas at​ Austin​ ​​and​ ​a​ ​MS​ ​in​ ​Hydrogeology ​​from​ ​Georgia​ ​Tech University.

Daniel​ ​K.​ ​Pearson, Chief,​ ​Data​ ​and​ ​Spatial​ ​Studies ​has​ ​been​ ​with​ ​the​ ​U.S.​ ​Geological​ ​Survey​ (USGS) ​–​ Texas​ ​​Water​ Science​ ​​Center since ​2002.​ ​He​ currently​ ​serves​ as​ Chief​ of​ the​​ Data and​Spatial Studies​ Section​ ​and ​oversees​ a​ team​ ​of​ ​hydrologists, geographers​ and​ ​IT​​ specialists whose​ function​ is​ to​ produce​ innovative​ geospatial​ solutions;​ ​perform​ complex​ ​hydrologic​ ​and​ spatial​ analyses;​ ​and​ ​contribute ​to​ ongoing​ ​research​ ​​within​ ​the Center. ​Daniel​ has​ overseen​ the​ transformation​ of​ the​ Data​ ​and​ Spatial​ Studies​ Section​ during​ this​ time ​from a​ data​ production​ shop​ ​​to​ ​an​ ​application​ ​development​ ​and​ ​data ​management​ ​enterprise.​ ​Daniel earned​ ​a​ ​Bachelor’s​ ​of​ ​Science​ ​(2002)​ ​from​ ​Texas​ ​State​ ​University-San​Marcos​in​Geographic Information​ ​Science/Cartography​ ​(GIS)​ ​with​ ​a​ ​minor​ ​in​ ​Aquatic​ ​Biology.​ ​Recently​ ​(2010-current),​ ​Daniel has​ ​been​ ​working​ ​on​ ​ground-breaking​ ​technologies​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​map​ ​data​ ​in​ ​the​ ​field​ ​using​ ​high-precision GPS​ ​in​ ​concert​ ​with​ ​GIS​ ​and​ ​supported​ ​by​ ​the​ ​real-time​ ​mapping​ ​capabilities​ ​and​ ​data​ ​collection platforms.