Meet NSI

Meet NSI: Angie Crews, Principal Research Associate

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 20:29:11 +0000

Meet NSI: Angie Crews, Principal Research Associate Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/22/2024 - 13:29

Please meet Angie Crews, Principal Research Associate for NSI. Her research area is Remote Sensing. We are very lucky to have her aboard.

Hi, thank you for chatting with us.

My pleasure, thank you for reaching out!

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure! My family and I recently moved to Boulder last October when I accepted the position at NSI. So far we are loving the area. I have two daughters. 2 and 4 years old, and an 18 year old stepson. Some of my hobbies are long distance running, hiking, and snowboarding. I also have my private pilot’s license and enjoy flying when I have the opportunity.

Prior to coming to NSI, I spent 11 years Active Duty in the Marine Corps as an EA-6B Electronic Countermeasures Officer and then as a Space Operations Officer. I deployed twice to Al Asad, Iraq and had tours at the Pentagon and the National Reconnaissance Office. I then transitioned to the Marine Corps Reserves and attended MIT. I received my Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, and I had the opportunity to support several flight CubeSat projects. In my thesis I demonstrated that CubeSats have the potential to be used as operational weather monitoring platforms, and the algorithm I developed to correct calibration drifts is used on-orbit the TROPICS constellation today. After graduating MIT, I spent 4 years as a defense contractor supporting the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) as a Space Subject Matter Expert before transitioning to my current role at NSI.

Q: What excites you about your current role in NSI?

I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with world class faculty at an R1 research university. Working at NSI allows me to conduct high impact, cutting edge research in support of the DOD and IC.

Q: Thank you. Do you have anything else to add about NSI or your current goals/work?

I’m excited to be part of the team here at NSI, and I look forward to growing my research portfolio and working with everyone!

Please meet Angie Crews, Principal Research Associate for NSI. Her research area is Remote Sensing. We are very lucky to have her aboard.

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Meet NSI: Matt Ervin - Project Management Fellow

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 19:41:18 +0000

Meet NSI: Matt Ervin - Project Management Fellow Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/22/2023 - 13:41

Please meet, Matt Ervin, the new Program Manager fellow hired through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program at NSI. Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship Program is an innovative program that provides transitioning service members with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce.

Q: Hi, Matt. Thank you for chatting with us.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from, etc.?

I am originally from the Philadelphia area (Go Eagles). I have been able to serve in the Army over the last 13 years. I’ve held numerous positions during my service including, Howitzer Section Chief, Security Force Advisor, Recruiter, Combatives Program Director, and Division Fires Operations Manager among others. All of which have given me opportunities to explore multiple temporary duty stations around the world! On top of this I was able to leverage opportunities in the Army to earn my MBA as well as PMP certification. I enjoy spending time cooking, playing rugby, muay thai, and spending time with my ten month old son!

Q: Can you tell us about the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program? How did you get involved in it?

The Hiring our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program (HoH) is an opportunity provided to transitioning service members to help them wade into the waters of civilian work. I got really lucky in how I became involved. Upon my return from a tour in Europe I had begun my transition pretty late. My appointment with the transition office and Career Skills Program (CSP) office was on the last possible day for me to enroll in HoH. I had shown up and received a firehose of information and an extremely long to do list. After scrambling around and waking up a few people still in Europe I was able to get everything signed and engage in the program with its deadline being the next day!

Q: What drew you to working with NSI?

During my transition out of the Army I still wanted to ensure that what I was doing would still contribute to the betterment of the world. When I saw the possibility to work at NSI I had done some investigating into the organization and felt that this would be a great challenging opportunity to ensure I was able to continue that service as well as undertake a new and exciting challenge.

Q: What do you hope to get out of your fellowship?

The ability to exercise a skillset that may have otherwise atrophied is a welcome challenge. The opportunity to work at NSI has been a wonderful way to increase my experience as a project manager and has enabled me to focus on my transition out of the Army comfortably while being able to contribute in a meaningful way to a team that has welcomed me wholeheartedly.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current work?

The HoH program seems to have begun at the exact right time. NSI has gained a lot of traction recently and is working on the acquisition of quite a few projects so getting in on the ground floor and working to help develop these project management plans as well as continuing to keep up on more mature projects has been a wonderful growth experience. Ensuring I can contribute to the team has been upmost important to the work I’ve been doing, and I look forward to continuing to do so.

Q: Thank you. Do you have anything else to add about NSI or your current goals or work?

I am very grateful for the opportunity to be here! I look forward to working with everyone, developing relationships, and seeing what the future holds! Thank you.

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Meet NSI: Erin Irwin - Contracts and Grants Manager

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 19:39:27 +0000

Meet NSI: Erin Irwin - Contracts and Grants Manager Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/22/2023 - 13:39

Please meet Erin Irwin, Contracts and Grants Manager for NSI. Her position is responsible for all contracts and grants within NSI. We are very lucky to have her aboard.

Q: Hi, Erin. Thank you for chatting with us.

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a Colorado Native currently living in Arvada Colorado with my husband and two children. I have a master’s degree in business administration and finance from Regis University in Denver and I enjoy using this degree in my current role of Contracts and Grants Manager within NSI. I really enjoy working and living in Colorado and spend a lot of my off time reading books and spending time with my family.

Q: What excites you about your current role in NSI?

My current role within NSI allows me to pursue my passion finance for within a fast paced and exciting research environment. The research that NSI is doing is very important and I am honored to be a part of that research even if it is in the capacity of finance and contracts.

Q: Thank you. Do you have anything else to add about NSI or your current goals/work?

My favorite part in my role at NSI is meeting and working with the research team. The team is incredible and working with such a dynamic team keeps me motivated to gain more skills in my current goal. I am fortunate enough to have education and training within my working environment and I am encouraged and pursue goals that keep my professional development current and always growing.

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Meet NSI: Captain Jacob Shepherd, United States Army - Program Manager (Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program)

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 21:08:20 +0000

Meet NSI: Captain Jacob Shepherd, United States Army - Program Manager (Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program) Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/06/2023 - 14:08

Please meet, Captain Jacob Shepherd, United States Army, the new Program Manager hired through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program at NSI. Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship Program is an innovative program that provides transitioning service members with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce.

Q: Hi, Jacob. Thank you for chatting with us.

A: Hi, Julie. Thanks for the interview, I’m excited to be here.

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from, etc.?

A: My name is Jacob Shepherd, I’m 28 years old, and I’m currently a Captain in the US Army. I was born and raised in Boulder, CO then went on to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. At West Point, I majored in Engineering Management and participated as a member of the ‘Black Knights’ Parachute Team, where I performed over 500 freefall skydives as a part of collegiate competitions and demonstrations into various sporting events, parades, and air shows.

In 2017, I graduated from West Point and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer. I then underwent a year of training, graduating from the Infantry Officer’s Course and the US Army’s Ranger School. My first assignment was to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii with the 25th Infantry Division where I served as a Rifle Platoon Leader and a Mortar Platoon Leader. In Hawaii, I also attended and graduated from the Marksmanship Instructors course and the Jungle Operations Training Center. After an additional year of professional military education I was promoted to the rank of Captain.

My final assignment in the Army is to Fort Carson, CO with the 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade, which is a unit focused on military advising. While at Fort Carson, I deployed to the Republic of Georgia in 2022 with my 12-soldier advisor team. Our mission was to deter aggression in Europe while building interoperability between the US military and the Georgian Defense Forces.

I am now slated to end my service in June 2023, which is how I became involved in the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program with NSI.

Q: Can you tell us about the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program? How did you get involved in it?

A: The Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program provides transitioning service members with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce. Fellowship candidates are matched with participating companies based on specific skills of the candidate and the preferences of both the candidate and the host company.

I got involved with Hiring Our Heroes because I believe my experience as a combat arms Officer has provided me with valuable skills from once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, but I had a lack of understanding on how to translate them to meaningful civilian employment. Although I am just beginning my program, the mentorship I have already received from the Hiring Our Heroes staff and the staff at NSI has helped me tremendously to gain the confidence and ability to articulate my skills to potential future employers. I am so grateful for this opportunity and would recommend it to any veteran preparing to end their service, and to host companies seeking to access future employees with talent, motivation, and proven leadership.

Q: What drew you to working with NSI?

A: While my time on active duty comes to a close, I still hold dear my oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I believe the research performed by the amazingly gifted people at NSI will enable our defense and intelligence communities to maintain their advantages over our adversaries and ensure a better future of a free, open, secure, and prosperous world.

The research being performed at NSI is essential to the objectives of the 2022 National Security Strategy. I am already blown away by the talent of the entire team here. While I had opportunities to work with other great companies, NSI had a particular appeal to me because of the cutting-edge research that is performed and the enduring legacy it will create.

Q: What do you hope to get out of your fellowship?

A: The two goals I have for my fellowship are to learn as much as possible about the research and program management done at NSI and to help the team however I can as a program management fellow.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current work?

A: [Not sure if you are referring to my current work at NSI or in the Army, so I will provide a blurb explaining each.]

At NSI, I’m working closely with Mr. Tim Clarke and Ms. Emily CoBabe-Ammann on the Program Management side of things. While I haven’t had an opportunity to fully dive into my work yet, I am already learning a lot about what it takes to meet cost, schedule, and performance objectives on research projects. The various types of contracts the government awards to NSI have their own unique requirements and with time and experience I hope to help either preclude or solve problems in order to allow the researchers to continue their important work without interruption or distraction.

In the Army, I work as the Senior Operations Advisor on a multidisciplinary advisor team. The most important part of my job is to take care of my soldiers. Professionally, I work with my commander to develop the technical expertise and cross-cultural fluency of my team to rapidly deploy anywhere in the European theater to train and fight alongside our partners and allies. President Biden has emphasized the need for exceptional American leadership and partnership to meet today’s security challenges and my team and I are doing our part to accomplish that mission. Personally, I try to help my soldiers and their families handle various challenges including: separation due to deployments, physical and mental health, and the personal struggles that all humans face. The Army’s most valuable resource is its people, so the team and I place a huge emphasis on taking care of each other.

Q: Thank you. Do you have anything else to add about NSI or your current goals or work?

A: Thank you so much. I’m very excited to be a part of the team at NSI. I hope that I have the opportunity to continue our professional partnership after the conclusion of my service.

Please meet, Captain Jacob Shepherd, United States Army, the new Program Manager hired through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program at NSI. Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship Program is an innovative program that provides transitioning service members with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian workforce.

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Meet NSI: Timothy Clarke - Senior Program Manager

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 17:44:13 +0000

Meet NSI: Timothy Clarke - Senior Program Manager Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/06/2022 - 11:44

Tim Clarke , Julie Kazimer

Tim Clarke

Please meet Tim Clarke, Senior Program Manager for NSI. His position is responsible for developing the capture strategy, identifying business opportunities, and preparing and implementing strategic proposals associated with growing the National Security research portfolio. We are very lucky to have him aboard.

Q: Hi, Tim. Thank you for chatting with us.

You’re very welcome! Thanks very much for reaching out!

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from?

Sure! I grew up in rural Missouri and headed out to the Marine Corps when I was seventeen. I originally enlisted as a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare specialist, and after a time I received a commission and ultimately continued in service for the next twenty-four years. After I retired, I went to work for Esri as the Defense Services Practice Lead where I ran a team of truly world class consultants and software developers focused on the application of geospatial technology to help clients solve tough problems and improve their overall workflows and processes. After about seven years with Esri, I had an opportunity to return to government with the CIA which was great fun, but I missed some of the latitude I had operating in the commercial sector. To that end, I accepted a position as Chief of Strategic Markets with SRC, which was also great, but as my adult children started to settle in Colorado, a new pivot was in order, which brings me here!

Q: What drew you to working with NSI?

As I started seriously contemplating relocating to Colorado, I took a pretty close look at a broad range of opportunities across the state. NSI kept jumping to the forefront because of the broad range of research activities it was involved with, and the fact that it was a pretty new undertaking, but one backed by CU Boulder’s tremendous foundation and enduring legacy of quality research. I viewed it as a great opportunity to help build and grow something that could have a long-lasting and positive impact on national security for years to come.

Q: What do you like about being a PM?

Lots of things! Foremost, the combined quality of the staff, students, and interdisciplinary research is unparalleled. It’s a pleasure to work with people that are truly passionate about what they do. I also like that my portfolio is incredibly diverse, allowing me to engage with multiple departments involved with wildly disparate research programs.

Q: Thank you. Do you have anything else to add about NSI or your current goals or work?

I’m thrilled to be here and very much look forward to helping grow the program and work on ground-breaking initiatives that will invariably carry us into the future.

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Meet NSI: Gabe Altman - NSI Intern

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 15:06:28 +0000

Meet NSI: Gabe Altman - NSI Intern Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/06/2022 - 09:06

Julie Kazimer , Greg Altman

Gabe Altman

Please meet Gabe Altman, NSI Intern. Gabe works closely with Calvin Chan, Senior Research Associate in Cybersecurity. They work closely with partners across industry, universities, national laboratories, DOD and DOE to develop more secure and resilient information systems that impact not only military preparedness and operations, but also global commerce and daily civilian life.

Q: Hi, Gabe. Thank you for chatting with us.

My pleasure, thanks for the opportunity to be interviewed!

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from, what you plan on studying, etc.?

I came to Colorado from sunny south Florida on a mission to redefine the trajectory of my life by becoming an engineer. I was looking for a fulfilling career that would challenge me on a daily basis. Studying electrical engineering at CU Boulder certainly provided challenges! It’s been a life changing journey. Before coming to CU, I worked as a bicycle mechanic, welder, machinist, EMT, and a handful of other interesting jobs. I’m glad to say that I received my B.S.E.E. in May of 2022, and now I can call myself “Engineer.” My future plan is to stay at CU to earn my Masters degree in electrical engineering.

Q: What drew you to working with NSI?

It’s an opportunity to work one-on-one with distinguished researchers, and to explore problems in engineering that I never knew existed. Working with NSI has allowed me to develop skills with computational tools, and to apply the theoretical knowledge that I gained as an undergraduate student at CU.

Q: What do you hope to get out of your internship with NSI?

I’d like to see the research project that I’m working on get published, and to see the results of that research being applied to real-world applications. NSI has also given me an opportunity to network with a community of researchers, which I hope will help me to find meaningful work after I graduate.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current work?

Electronic devices are vulnerable to damage or glitches if they are exposed to strong electromagnetic impulses. We’re trying to build a multiphysics model that explains how these impulses effect microchips. If our model is accurate, perhaps it can lead to methods of designing circuits which are robustly protected from electromagnetic impulses.

Q: Thank you. Do you have anything else to add about NSI or your current goals or work?

I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be working with NSI. It’s been a long road from bicycle mechanic to electrical engineer, and if you had asked me 20 years ago what I would be doing today, I would never in my wildest dreams have guessed the answer would be modeling electromagnetic effects for NSI. I’d love to build on this work while studying at CU, complete my degree, and then find work in industry or at a national laboratory! Who knows, there could even be a PhD. in my future!

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