Michael Watson

D.C.’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Archana Vemulapalli, recently announced that she will step down in January 2018. In her 21 months of service to this city, Vemulapalli has led the development of a new data policy; hired D.C.’s first Chief Data Officer (CDO); and brought the city into the forefront of east coast technology culture through the Startup in Residence program, among other accomplishments. Who should be next as D.C.'s CTO?

This report reviews the current and projected status of wearable technologies with potential for use by law enforcement and describes three conceptual integrated vest systems that incorporate these technologies. These three systems are meant to represent what could conceivably be implemented very quickly to enhance existing capabilities, what might be done in the near term to provide additional capabilities, and what might be considered to take advantage of technologies that are still in… Show more

This report reviews the current and projected status of wearable technologies with potential for use by law enforcement and describes three conceptual integrated vest systems that incorporate these technologies. These three systems are meant to represent what could conceivably be implemented very quickly to enhance existing capabilities, what might be done in the near term to provide additional capabilities, and what might be considered to take advantage of technologies that are still in development and could provide even greater capabilities. Wearable technologies provide an opportunity to address several problems faced by law enforcement officers in an increasingly complex and technologically challenging environment — for example, the size and weight of equipment they must carry, the proliferation of batteries for electronic devices, the need for mounting and docking systems for body-worn cameras, and the need for comfort and flexibility while wearing body armor underneath uniforms. Show less

The District recently established a comprehensive data policy, but it took many years to get there. We hardly think of governments as entities at the forefront of technological innovation, but government data policies can have a big impact by changing perceptions and expectations, invigorating (or stifling) innovation, collaboration and most importantly inclusion.

A look into D.C.'s new data policy and its' history.

Nonlinear optical phenomena in semiconductors present several fundamental problems in modern optics that are of great importance for the development of optoelectronic devices. In particular, the details of photo-induced lattice dynamics at early time-scales prior to carrier recombination remain poorly understood. We demonstrate the first integrated measurements of both optical and structural, material-dependent quantities while also inferring the bulk impulsive strain profile by using high… Show more

Nonlinear optical phenomena in semiconductors present several fundamental problems in modern optics that are of great importance for the development of optoelectronic devices. In particular, the details of photo-induced lattice dynamics at early time-scales prior to carrier recombination remain poorly understood. We demonstrate the first integrated measurements of both optical and structural, material-dependent quantities while also inferring the bulk impulsive strain profile by using high spatial-resolution time-resolved x-ray scattering (TRXS) on bulk crystalline gallium arsenide. Our findings reveal distinctive laser-fluence dependent crystal lattice responses, which are not described by previous TRXS experiments or models. The initial linear expansion of the crystal upon laser excitation stagnates at a laser fluence corresponding to the saturation of the free carrier density before resuming expansion in a third regime at higher fluences where two-photon absorption becomes dominant. Our interpretations of the lattice dynamics as nonlinear optical effects are confirmed by numerical simulations and by additional measurements in an n-type semiconductor that allows higher-order nonlinear optical processes to be directly observed as modulations of x-ray diffraction lineshapes. Show less

When defending an organization against cyberattacks, cybersecurity professionals are faced with the dilemma of selecting from a large set of cybersecurity defensive measures while operating with a limited set of resources with which to employ the measures. Engaging in this selection process is not easy and can be overwhelming. Furthermore, the challenge is exacerbated by the fact that many cybersecurity strategies are presented as itemized lists, with few hints at how to position a given action… Show more

When defending an organization against cyberattacks, cybersecurity professionals are faced with the dilemma of selecting from a large set of cybersecurity defensive measures while operating with a limited set of resources with which to employ the measures. Engaging in this selection process is not easy and can be overwhelming. Furthermore, the challenge is exacerbated by the fact that many cybersecurity strategies are presented as itemized lists, with few hints at how to position a given action within the space of alternative actions. This report aims to address these difficulties by explaining the menu of actions for defending an organization against cyberattack and recommending an approach for organizing the range of actions and evaluating cybersecurity defensive activities. Show less

This report addresses and recommends potential methods for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to identify, hire, and organize data scientists. The authors examine data science activities in the private sector and university-level data science training and also explore hiring and retention options for creating a data science capability within DIA. They also examine the results of interviews with DIA employees. The authors recommend that DIA create its own data science capability with a mix of… Show more

This report addresses and recommends potential methods for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to identify, hire, and organize data scientists. The authors examine data science activities in the private sector and university-level data science training and also explore hiring and retention options for creating a data science capability within DIA. They also examine the results of interviews with DIA employees. The authors recommend that DIA create its own data science capability with a mix of government experts and contractors capable of managing activities unique to military intelligence operations and that DIA establish a center of excellence to oversee and promote data science activities, development, and training. Show less

The discovery of graphene, nearly a decade ago [1, 2, 3], has since given interest into other atomically thin, two-dimensional (2D) crystals. One such material is mono-layer molybdenum disulphide (MoS2). Electronic device manufactures in particular have found 2D materials such as MoS2 interesting because of the physical and electronic properties. MoS2 can be fashioned into electronic components such as field-effect transistors (FETs) or logic gates easily and are particularly thin. This… Show more

The discovery of graphene, nearly a decade ago [1, 2, 3], has since given interest into other atomically thin, two-dimensional (2D) crystals. One such material is mono-layer molybdenum disulphide (MoS2). Electronic device manufactures in particular have found 2D materials such as MoS2 interesting because of the physical and electronic properties. MoS2 can be fashioned into electronic components such as field-effect transistors (FETs) or logic gates easily and are particularly thin. This interest means MoS2 must be understood from an electronic and physical perspective before it can fully be integrated into electronic devices. To understand MoS2 better a comprehensive power and temperature dependent study on MoS2 was done using both Raman and photoluminescent spectroscopies. Show less