Nicole Rohloff is an IT project manager in the NIH Office of the Director’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). She’s been with NIH for almost 10 years but has only been in her current role for the last year. She was excited to be able to mentor a Coding it Forward Civic Digital Fellow this summer.
“When I joined NIH as a federal employee in 2008 it was through the Pathways program,” Rohloff said. “I would not be where I am today if it had not been for all of the mentors that I’ve had over the years. It’s rewarding to coach others and help in their career growth.”
Coding it Forward and the Office of Data Science Strategy work together to pair mentors and fellows in projects. Nicole is mentoring Jared Stancombe, a recent Indiana University graduate with a master’s degree in cybersecurity risk management. He’s introducing the MITRE ATT&CK Framework, which is a foundation for assessing cyber security risk and advancing threat protection.
“My main deliverable for this fellowship is a presentation for information system security officers on how to use this framework,” Stancombe said.
Rohloff’s background isn’t in information technology. A year ago, she pivoted from human resources and business management to a technical role.
“I needed a challenge,” Rohloff commented. “I wanted to shift gears and learn something entirely new.”
While mentoring in a new field presents unique challenges, such as sharing technical knowledge, Rohloff’s diverse workforce experience brings a lot to the table.
“I think the secret for success in any industry begins with the people,” Rohloff said. “If you start there, the rest falls into place.”
IT is an ever-evolving field that requires a lot of flexibility for learning, and having a fellow has been part of the learning process for Rohloff. Working with Stancombe and her supervisor, David Olson, she’s learned about a variety of topics. “Having a fellow is just a fresh, innovative, creative perspective,” Rohloff said.
Teleworking introduces another set of unique challenges to the mix. The need for flexibility and learning now extends beyond project challenges into workforce challenges.
Rohloff said, “I think the biggest challenge is not having an ability to interact in-person, even if it’s only for an initial meet and greet.”
However, Olson, her co-mentor, keeps them in touch early in the morning. The trio joked about Olson’s early meeting times. “I’ve turned so many people into early risers,” Olson laughed.
While social distancing has raised some challenges with teleworking, it’s given Rohloff a chance to spend time on one of her favorite hobbies – racing cars.
“I love driving my car and eventually will start autocross racing.”
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 Nicole's co-mentor, David, and her fellow, Jared.
