David Olson wears a few hats in the NIH Office of the Director’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). He’s the lead for assessment and authorization, FISMA compliance, security policy, and cloud security – and a second-year mentor to a Coding it Forward fellow.
Olson has been with the OCIO since January 2018, and after mentoring a fellow last year and enjoying the experience, he decided to mentor another one this year.
“It’s very important to give in any way we can and to give an opportunity to those wanting to see what it’s like to work in the federal government,” Olson said.
His fellow, Jared Stancombe, recently graduated with a master’s degree in cybersecurity risk management from Indiana University. He is spending the summer helping OCIO introduce the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
“My main deliverable for this fellowship is a presentation for information system security officers on how to use this framework,” Stancombe said. MITRE ATT&CK is used as a foundation for developing specific threat models and better assess cyber security risks.
“We want to give them meaningful projects within the short stint that they’re here, and I like to give them a more holistic view of cybersecurity,” Olson added.
While Olson has mentored a fellow before, this year looks a bit different with COVID-19 switching the landscape to telework. Additionally, Olson is co-mentoring this year with Nicole Rohloff; with Olson working in Pennsylvania, Stancombe in Indiana, and Rohloff in Virginia, they’ve had to prioritize meeting and mentoring time.
“One unique challenge was there is no office time,” Olson said. “Being in the office is easier for getting to know people and ask questions.”
In lieu of the face-to-face time usually enjoyed in an office, they’ve taken to a quick morning meeting to get everyone on the same page for the day. “They’re more of morning people than I am,” Stancombe admitted. “But we start the day out great.”
The trio joked about Olson’s early meeting times. “I’ve turned so many people into early risers,” Olson laughed. “It’s just the easiest way to get everyone together.”
Olson has been an early riser since before the pandemic, commuting regularly from southern Pennsylvania to the NIH campus on an early work schedule to minimize time in traffic. For him, the lack of a commute these days has given him more time for what he enjoys.
“I own a 50-acre farm,” Olson said. “That’s my paradise.”
The Office of Data Science Strategy at NIH works with institutes and centers and with Coding it Forward to bring fresh perspectives to tackle computational challenges facing the biomedical research workforce each summer. ODSS will feature fellows and mentors from the 2020 cohort throughout the summer. Meet David's co-mentor, Nicole, and his fellow, Jared.
