Jacobs: If/When

Nathalie Cabrol is an astrobiologist and the Director of SETI Institute Carl Sagan Center for Research where she spearheads a new multidisciplinary roadmap to bridge astrobiology and SETI. She has a background in planetary and environmental sciences, and astrobiology. Her research focuses on the exploration of habitability and life beyond Earth. She counts over 470 peer-reviewed publications and proceedings of professional conferences and is the author of three books and 10 chapters of books on the subject of planetary science and exploration, astrobiology, and terrestrial extreme environments. Nathalie is the recipient of NASA and other research awards. She is a Carey Fellow (Wings Worldquest Women of Discovery - Air and Space, 2007), and a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences since 2016. She was honored to present the Sagan Lecture at AGU in December 2016. Nathalie has given over 400 public lectures on the subjects of planetary science, exploration, and the search for life beyond Earth, including a TED Talk in 2015. In March 2018, the New York Times Sunday Magazine featured a portrait of her work and life. Nathalie holds the women's world record for diving at altitude (scuba and free diving).Seth Shostak claims to have developed an interest in extraterrestrial life at the tender age of ten, when he first picked up a book about the Solar System. This innocent beginning eventually led to a degree in radio astronomy, and now, as Senior Astronomer, Seth is an enthusiastic participant in the Institute’s SETI observing programs. In addition, Seth is keen on outreach activities: interesting the public – and especially young people – in science in general, and astrobiology in particular. He’s co-authored a college textbook on astrobiology, and has written three trade books on SETI. In addition, he’s published more than 400 popular articles on science including regular contributions to NBC News MACH, gives many dozens of talks annually, and is the host of the SETI Institute’s weekly science radio show, “Big Picture Science.” 

Chrissy Mitchell (Ph.D. MSc. BSc. FRGS, FCIWEM, C.Geog, C.Sci, C.Env, CWEM) works nationally within the Joint (DEFRA/Environment Agency/Welsh Government/Natural Resources Wales) Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management R&D Programme. As a lead scientist at the UK Environment Agency she heads the Flood and Coast Asset Management Research & Development (R&D) as well as the Reservoir Safety R&D. She is also an Associate Editor of the international journal of Flood Risk Management, and she was the Environment Agency project lead for the recently published coastal squeeze research. With a degree in Geology, a Masters in Environmental Science and a Doctorate in Geography, Chrissy joined the UK Environment Agency in 2003, initially supporting regulation and strategic planning and later the DEFRA/EA FCERM R&D programme as the sustainable asset management theme manager. She became the national lead climate change policy advisor for flood risk management and was nominated chair of young FLOODsite for four years running, an international network of 100+ young people working under a large European Flood research programme. She has been a member of the Advisory committee for the annual UK Flood and Coast Conference.Nigel Pontee (BSc, MSc, PhD, C.Eng, FICE, C.WEM, MCIWEM) has over 30 years’ experience in coastal geomorphology and management. His experience covers estuaries, saltmarshes, sand beaches, gravel beaches, mixed sand and gravel beaches, and aeolian sand dunes. He has contributed to the creation of over 1700ha of new wetland habitat in the UK. Over the last six years, Nigel has become more involved in nature based coastal defense projects contributing to  several international guidelines and numerous projects around the world. Nigel is currently working a several projects related to the carbon offsetting potential of marine habitats including the development of a carbon code for coastal saltmarshes and research relating to the carbon content or restored habitats. He is the Global Technology leader for Coastal Planning and Engineering in Jacobs and a Visiting Professor at the National Oceanography Centre in the UK. He is a member of several industry panels for the Institute of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Joint Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management R&D Programme in the UK.

Daniel Kahneman is Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs Emeritus at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Princeton University, and a fellow of the Center for Rationality at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Dr. Kahneman has held the position of professor of psychology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (1970-1978), the University of British Columbia (1978-1986), and the University of California, Berkeley (1986-1994). Dr. Kahneman is a member of the National Academy of Science, the Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the Society of Experimental Psychologists, and the Econometric Society. He has been the recipient of many awards, among them the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award of the American Psychological Association (1982) and the Grawemeyer Prize (2002), both jointly with Amos Tversky, the Warren Medal of the Society of Experimental Psychologists (1995), the Hilgard Award for Career Contributions to General Psychology (1995), the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2002), the Lifetime Contribution Award of the American Psychological Association (2007), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2013). Dr. Kahneman holds honorary degrees from numerous Universities.

Kirk Borne, Chief Science Officer at DataPrime and data science expert, is joined by Michael Brown, Global Technology Lead for Predictive Analytics at Jacobs. They discuss the explosion of data during the pandemic and the pivotal role of data scientists in crafting meaningful insights. The conversation dives into data democratization, emphasizing the need for innovation across all employee levels. Strategies for monetizing data and the evolving responsibilities of Chief Data Officers amidst emerging privacy regulations are also explored, paving the way for responsible data practices.

Gary Rydstrom is a film director and sound designer.  For Pixar Animation Studios, he directed two shorts: the Oscar-nominated Lifted, and Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation.  For Disney and Studio Ghibli, he directed the English-language versions of The Secret World of Arrietty, From Up on Poppy Hill, and The Wind Rises.  At Skywalker Sound, he has designed and mixed many films, including Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, A River Runs Through It, Toy Story, Quiz Show, Titanic, Saving Private Ryan, Star Wars: Episode I, Punch-Drunk Love, Finding Nemo, War Horse, and Bridge of Spies.  He also wrote and directed the feature film, Strange Magic. He has won seven Academy Awards for Sound and Sound Editing, and Career Achievement Awards from both the Cinema Audio Society and Motion Picture Sound Editors.  He is currently working on sound design for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Gary is a native of Elmhurst, Illinois, and a graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema.

Adrian Belew is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer and guitar guru known for his inventive guitar sounds, complex time signatures, witty lyrics, wild sound and technical mastery. Belew has released 24 critically acclaimed solo records and was the frontman, singer, co-writer and guitarist for progressive rock powerhouse King Crimson for over 30 years. He also played alongside musicians such as David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Paul Simon, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Laurie Anderson and many, many more.

Dr. Rick Robinson is Director of Smart Places, Digital Infrastructure and Telecommunications for Jacobs. He advises cities, infrastructure operators, property developers and investors on the use of technology to improve buildings, infrastructure, places, communities and business and organisational performance. Previously, he has led Smart Cities businesses for Arup and IBM, and was Director of Technology for Amey, where he was responsible for driving advances in digital technology into public services and infrastructure that are used by about 1 in 4 people in the UK every day. Rick collaborates with a network of technology entrepreneurs, Universities and social institutions to explore innovations in digital technology, and has advised the UK Government and United Nations on their impact on the built environment, economy, communities and society. Rick is a member of the UK5G Steering Group, a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Fellow of the RSA and a member of the Academy of Urbanism. He founded and co-chairs the Birmingham Smart City Alliance.Nigel Stanley, MSc CEng FIET MIEEE, Director of Cybersecurity – Jacobs, is a specialist in cybersecurity and business risk with over 30 years’ international experience in the industry. Nigel has in-depth knowledge of cybersecurity, information security, business risk, threat intelligence, cyber warfare, cyber terrorism, systems engineering, SCADA and industrial control systems (and applying standards such as IEC 62443 across these domains.) In addition, he has significant mechanical and electronic engineering experience in multiple engineering sectors including light and heavy rail, power transmission, maritime, aviation and communications systems cybersecurity. Nigel is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He has an MSc in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London. 

Stan McChrystal, founder and chief executive officer, founded McChrystal Group in January 2011 to deliver innovative leadership solutions to businesses globally in order to help them transform and succeed in challenging, dynamic environments. A retired four-star general, Stan is the former commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the nation’s premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He is best known for developing and implementing a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, and for creating a cohesive counter-terrorism organization that revolutionized the interagency operating culture. Throughout his military career, Stan commanded a number of elite organizations, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. After 9/11 until his retirement in 2010, he spent more than 6 years deployed to combat in a variety of leadership positions. In June 2009, the President of the United States and the Secretary General of NATO appointed him to be the Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. Bruce Crawford, Jacobs Senior Vice President - Strategic Development, Critical Mission Solutions, is an inspired, results-oriented thought leader of character with over thirty-four years of leadership, executive management, national & international security, enterprise information technology (IT) and cybersecurity experience. As the Army’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and senior IT official, he most recently served as the principal enterprise IT and cybersecurity policy advisor to the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff. Lieutenant General (Retired) Crawford’s duties and responsibilities also included execution and oversight of the Army’s $12.B IT annual IT budget, the Army's data and cloud migrations and delivery of IT capabilities from the tactical edge to the enterprise at 288 locations in 143 countries world-wide. During his 34 years of service, Bruce has served in a variety of operational and strategic leadership positions in every major theater of operations, that includes Europe, the Pacific and Southwest Asia. He also holds a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University.

Christopher Gromek is a Senior Product Manager - Advanced Development in PTC’s Office of the CTO. After completing a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, he joined The Boeing Company’s Product Development Group, where his work on the 737MAX, 777-X, and (unreleased) 797 Programs advanced the state of the art in simulation and optimization. He later joined Frustum, Inc. as a generative design subject matter expert, working to realize the vision of an AI-driven mechanical design software.  Following Frustum, Inc.’s acquisition by PTC, he now manages the development and implementation of its Generative Design SaaS solutions.Kelly Bryant is the Deputy Section Manager, Mechanical Design/Drafting & Manufacturing with Jacobs on the JETS contract at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. He has over 30 years of industry experience in engineering design, management and support services in the aerospace, consumer products and defense systems sectors. Kelly is passionate about learning new tools and advocates using technology to solve engineering issues as he coaches other team members to improve their skill sets. That focus on mentoring helps teams achieve innovative product design while increasing productivity and profitability for customers.

Rich Deakin was recently appointed as UKRI’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Low Cost Nuclear Challenge Director.  He has in excess of 35 years of experience of leading across international boundaries, complex stakeholder networks and delivery in industrial programs in organizations such as British Nuclear Fuels, Rolls Royce, NuScale and the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy.  Rich has significant experience of leading change and developing supply chain capability at a Nuclear Licensed Site in the role of General Manager and “agent of the licensee” for a UK based site during a period of regeneration, change and growth. He routinely represents the nuclear sector at both UK and International events and is increasingly engaged in the support of bringing diversity to the sector and encouraging the development of those new to the sector. Rich joined UKRI from a role of Policy Adviser, Nuclear Directorate at BEIS where he was developing enabling policies for small nuclear.  Andrew Bailey leads Sales and Strategy for the CMS-I Technology and Innovation business. He has led Jacobs strategic work in Small and Advanced Modular Nuclear Reactors since 2015. Prior to joining the Jacobs Nuclear business in 2011, Andrew held several Director positions over 15 years in the Process Industry and prior to that had a background in Management Consultancy.Andrew has held P & L and Strategy responsibility within Jacobs and has direct experience of the Nuclear Fission and Fusion market. His current role requires taking a wider view of the clean energy landscape to determine how nuclear energy integrates with other relevant forms of clean energy.