GovCast: Former Energy CIO Examines Evolving Tech Priorities
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
Release Date: 03/12/2025
GovCast: Inside DOD’s Push to Grow the Cyber Workforce Through Academia
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
In her first interview since becoming Principal Director of the Defense Department’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO), Diba Hadi reflects on her role and vision for the office since stepping into the position in 2024 during the 2025 HammerCON conference in Laurel, Maryland. Hadi shares insights into her day-to-day responsibilities and highlights efforts to strengthen the integration of universities into the Centers of Academic Excellence community. Her goal: to develop cyber talent aligned with the Defense Department’s evolving workforce needs. She explores how improved data...
info_outline
GovCast: DOD Turns to Skills-Based Hiring to Build Next-Gen Cyber Workforce
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
Mark Gorak, the Defense Department’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office’s (CAEO) director and principal director for Resources and Analysis, shares how his office is shaping the future of cyber talent during the 2025 HammerCON conference in Laurel, Maryland. Launched in 2024, CAEO has partnered with over 480 academic institutions nationwide to identify and develop the next generation of cyber professionals. The office is working to streamline academic partnerships, create equitable opportunities for smaller schools and better align education with national security needs. Gorak also discusses...
info_outline
GovCast: New NSF Program Cultivates the Future of NextG Networks
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
Competitiveness in advanced telecommunications technologies is critical to American innovation and national security. The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced the new Verticals-enabling Intelligent NEtwork Systems (VINES) program to foster U.S. leadership in advanced telecommunications and foster innovative real-world applications. NSF Acting Assistant Director of Computer and Information Science and Engineering Ellen Zegura says that VINES is focused on advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, which will bring significant advantages in cost reduction and improved...
info_outline
CyberCast: Inside Oak Ridge National Lab’s Pioneer Approach to AI
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
Edmon Begoli, Director of the Center for AI Security Research (CAISER) at the Energy Department’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, highlights how his team is ensuring safe and responsible AI deployment across government during the AI+ Expo in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. The research team is developing cutting-edge tools and methodologies to assess AI vulnerabilities, test models under extreme conditions and create energy efficient solutions for complex technological challenges. Begoli's team is focusing on two key innovations: comprehensive AI security assessments and TinyML, a...
info_outline
GovCast: AI Enables Coast Guard’s Workforce to Transform Operations
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
The new administration has released several new directives to guide agencies' approach to AI since the beginning of the year. The tech is reshaping the U.S. Coast Guard’s core services and pushing its workforce to rethink the service’s approach to operations. The Coast Guard has been on a journey to upskill its workforce to better utilize the technology in daily operations. Brian Campo, the service’s deputy CIO, discusses the latest AI developments and how the Coast Guard is driving innovation, pointing to the example of the service’s Ask Hamilton chatbot, which helps Coast Guard’s...
info_outline
GovCast: DOL Turns to Workforce Development to Maintain AI Superiority
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
Department of Labor’s Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling outlines a comprehensive strategy to address the growing demand for AI skills in the American economy, during a live discussion at the AI+ Expo in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. Sonderling explains the federal government's multi-pronged approach to AI literacy, focusing on early education initiatives that would integrate tech training from elementary through high school levels. He emphasizes the critical need to reimagine traditional career pathways, outlining how apprenticeship programs allow students to enter tech industries...
info_outline
AWS Summit 2025: A DOE National Lab Uses GenAI to Boost Efficiency
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
Shannon Ayers from Lawrence Livermore National Lab unveiled a groundbreaking generative AI tool to boost operational efficiency at the National Ignition Facility. The tool leverages 22 years of institutional data, analyzing over 98,000 problem logs, to provide instant troubleshooting guidance for operators. By creating a decision-tree system, the lab addresses critical challenges of aging infrastructure and knowledge transfer between retiring and emerging scientific workforces. The AI-powered platform represents a strategic approach to accelerating scientific research, enabling operators to...
info_outline
AWS Summit 2025: Idaho National Lab’s AI Applications in Nuclear Technology
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
The Idaho National Laboratory is working on a suite of artificial intelligence capabilities to enhance nuclear energy research. During an interview at AWS Summit in Washington, D.C., the lab’s Scientific Computing Division Director Chris Ritter discussed how the organization is using generative AI to address complex scientific challenges across domains like reactor design and operations. The lab successfully created a digital twin of an aging reactor, streaming real-time data to the cloud and using multiple machine-learning models to predict operational parameters. Ritter emphasized the...
info_outline
AWS Summit 2025: Innovation Accelerates IT Delivery at DOD
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
Technology and software development can take years to field capabilities that may no longer meet mission needs once they reach the finish line. Some department compliance practices can add 12-18 months for authorization. At the AWS Summit in Washington, D.C., Marine Corps Community Services Digital Program Manager David Raley said that his office is accelerating the development and approval processes for mission capability. Raley highlighted solutions like AWS GovCloud and a certified DevSecOps platform that help reduce authorization times from a year to 15 minutes. Raley also talked about the...
info_outline
AWS Summit 2025: NIST Secures High-Performance Computing Against Evolving Threats
GovCIO Media & Research Podcasts
High-performance computing (HPC) systems provide fundamental computing infrastructure for government and industry. Security is critical for these systems that play a pivotal role in economic competitiveness and scientific discovery. At the AWS Summit in Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Computer Scientist Yang Guo said that efficient encryption and zone-based reference architectures can enhance HPC security without impacting performance. Guo, who leads the NIST HPC Security Working Group, said that collaboration and knowledge sharing can help buttress HPC...
info_outlineFormer Energy Department CIO Ann Dunkin managed a $5 billion IT budget and a $1 billion high-performance computing budget during her tenure. With a new administration taking shape, she offered insights into some of President Donald Trump’s new priorities and how they might impact the agency.
She discussed the new AI executive order, the growing influence of global AI competition and the federal government’s evolving strategies for cybersecurity and quantum advancements. She also highlighted ongoing challenges in recruiting top tech talent and streamlining acquisition processes.
Hear Dunkin’s take on the administration’s priorities, the risks and rewards of AI deregulation, and what’s next for federal IT modernization.