Much of today’s world is shaped by the impact of COVID-19, and pandemic response is operationalized into everything we do moving into the future. In this episode of If/When, we're joined by Bob Pragada and Chrissy Thom. We discussed how Jacobs is shifting its business focus, operations and reimagined solutions to thrive through the path of COVID-19’s global pandemic.

Not all digital innovations and new tech is developed by folks working out of their garages. Sometimes, the next start-up that’s waiting to happen is being developed within an existing organization – even a big, global one. What matters is having an entrepreneurial mindset that combines invention, business acumen and zeal for the customer and solving their problems, and approaching all of that like an owner. Hence, the rise of the intrapreneur. On this episode of If/When our guests are two gentlemen from Jacobs who are part of the team behind Alluvial, a new data insights solution that they run like a start-up business: Alex Mahrou, Director of Incubation for Data & Technology and Alluvial Product Manager, and David Yardy, Software Architect.

When you manage a life essential service, you can’t simply shut things off as you sort out how to deploy emerging technologies. You have to be agile in your approach while literally keeping things flowing. In the world of water management, that is literally the case, as operations managers are learning how to deploy tools such as artificial intelligence, digital twins and big data in exciting news ways to enhance how they provide water to their constituents without interrupting service or safety. On this episode of If/When, our guests are John Rickermann, Managing Director, Technical Services Group for Jacobs, and Gregg Kennedy, Jacobs Vice President, Water Platform.

As our world continues to accelerate all things digital, we are seeing a greater emphasis from organizations on the productization of data. And while data scientists undoubtedly have a role to play, the commercialization of data will require thoughtful consideration on the various skillsets and strategies necessary for success. On this episode of If/When our topic was data products, with an emphasis on an emerging new role – the data product manager. Our guest for this episode is Dr. Tom Davenport, Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management at Babson College, Visiting Professor at Oxford Business School, Fellow of the MIT Digital Economy Initiative, and Senior Advisor to Deloitte’s AI practice.

From pods mounted on the underside of propeller planes, to orbital sensor systems on the International Space Station, remote sensing technology is providing us with a host of amazing images and data points with applications ranging from precision agriculture efforts to disaster response aid. On this episode of If/When we’re joined by Scott Stetson, Division Vice President for Growth & Strategy, Jacobs and Andy Eichelberger, Remote Sensing Division Director, Jacobs to discuss remote sensing technology and how it can be applied to address a variety of challenges.

When disruptive moments arrive in life, it’s usually not the time to sit down and try to figure out what to do. You need to get in the habit of being ready to handle the extraordinary before the extraordinary happens to you, and few people understand this better than the men and women in the armed services. On this episode of If/When, we discuss leadership, fortitude and teamwork in the face of uncertainty with Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney, a senior fellow at the Mitchel Institute of Aerospace Studies, and Lt. General Bruce Crawford, senior vice president, chief of innovation and director of Jacobs’ Global Digital Center of Excellence.

Members of the armed forces are used to contending with stressful situations. However, making the move from deployment to employment as a civilian professional brings with it a different set of challenges. In this episode of If/When we discuss how service members can successfully embark on the next phase of their careers with Isaac Barnes, President of Eminent Future, and Cleophus Thomas, Vice President & Director of Operation for Jacobs' Global Digital Center of Excellence.

On this episode of If/When, we discussed the topic of precision medicine with Dr. David Fajgenbaum, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, University of Pennsylvania and author of the book, Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope Into Action, and Francesa McBride, Director, Regulatory Compliance at Jacobs.

The beauty of design automation is how it leverages computing power to bring an unbelievable combination of scale and efficiency to projects, while also managing repetitive tasks and freeing up professionals to focus on higher value, higher thinking responsibilities. Thanks to design automation technology, you can really shift thinking about your computer as a tool, and instead look upon it as a partner. On this episode of If/When, we’re discussing design automation with Anthony Hauck, co-Founder and COO, Hypar, and Jerry Dehn, Vice President, Design Delivery Transformation at Jacobs. Anthony and Jerry shared their insights on some of the amazing things that design automation can deliver, how it benefits clients and the professionals who depend on it, and what organizations should consider when investing in design automation, upskilling opportunities and removing barriers to adoption.

When it comes to cyber-based threats, few things are as critical to safety and success as the element of time. With the proliferation of bad actors, malicious activity and the exponential growth of technology, it is imperative that to survive, you need to be able to identify and respond to a cyber threat very, very quickly. Sometimes it’s not enough to go it alone. You need strategic alliances to develop innovative solutions to stay a step ahead of the dangers around you. On this episode of If/When we explored the topic of technological alliances with Shep Bostin, Enterprise Architect for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Doug Wolfe, Vice President and General Manager for Jacobs.

When it comes to tackling big challenges, innovative partnerships can be the key to sourcing differentiated outcomes. Earlier this year, Jacobs put the idea of radical collaboration to the test when it partnered with not one, but two student teams from Virginia Tech’s Consulting Group for a three-month exercise on design thinking methodologies and processes. The students had access to Jacobs subject matter experts and professionals in the field, whereas Jacobs had access to a team of academic researchers who could augment the company’s projects with supplemental data and trends research. The project culminated with two proposals and supportive testing. On this episode of If/When we discussed the genesis and output of this fantastic program with its organizer, Timothy Berendt, Jacobs Director, Technology and Innovation. Joining us were the two student team leaders from the Consulting Group at Virginia Tech: project managers Dawson Racek and Shreya Mallamula, both of whom are Virginia Tech class of 2023 seniors.

According to a report published by National Geographic earlier this year, sea levels are expected to rise one foot by 2050, due to the effects of ocean heating, climate change and carbon emissions. This is especially problematic for coastal areas, which simultaneously are seeing an increase in their population densities. Add in the difficulty of aging infrastructure in many geographies, and you have a real recipe for disruption. On this episode of If/When we discuss the topic of sea level rise with Abby Crisostomo, Thames Estuary 2100 – Project Director, and Natalie McIldowie, Jacobs Environment Agency Client Account Manager. We talked about the efforts that London is undertaking via the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan to address sea level rise and what actions that industry and coastal cities might consider adopting to counter this burgeoning environmental challenge.