DSFederal Updates

The Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA) held its inaugural Industry Outreach Symposium in Seaside, CA on August 29, and DSFederal Business Development Specialist Larysa Nazarenko was among the attendees. DSFederal supports a DHRA component program, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), with web and software development and we were eager to learn more about DHRA’s mission and its additional component activities. The event focused on technology and software solu

As Hurricane Harvey continues on its destructive path through the Houston area, many of us at DSFederal have wondered how we can help the people of Houston. Although many major charities and organizations (including the Salvation Army, Heart to Heart International, and the American Red Cross) are raising millions of dollars and mobilizing large-scale relief efforts, smaller organizations are also seeking support as they focus on more targeted, specific needs. The Texas Diaper

Summer is a very busy time for Federal contractors, but a total solar eclipse doesn't happen every day, and DSFederal staff members took a short break from work this afternoon to watch, accompanied by fellow tenants at 1803 Research Boulevard. The gathering began at about 1;55 PM, and by 2:15, dozens of building employees and visitors watched with delight as the eclipse approached 80% of totality. DSFederal was fortunate to have a supply of safety glasses, and we were happy t

From a rather modest start from a table at the Bethesda Barnes and Noble coffee shop, DSFederal has grown to become a leader among small Federal contractors, thanks to the support of the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development Program. After 10 years as an 8(a) Woman-Owned Small Business, we are now proud graduates of this wonderful program that has leveled the playing field for so many small businesses. Thanks to the support of the 8(a) program, DSFederal

When HHS was selected to implement the Section 5 Pilot of the 2014 Data Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act), they sought technical assistance from DSFederal. The DATA Act’s Section 5 Pilot addresses the lack of common data standards across the universe of Federal programs, and authorizes a Government-wide effort to identify unifying commonalities, with the ultimate goal of creating and enforcing a shared data vocabulary. The Common Data Element Repository (CDER) L

DSFederal is committed to education and development at all ages, and we were particularly happy to host a small group of bright and dedicated college interns this summer. Our interns helped with research and blog updates, assisted the HR and Finance departments, and contributed to web development and other technical efforts. We encouraged our interns to get to know one another, and they did exactly that, with a series of intern-to-intern interviews. Our first interview was wi

DSFederal Senior Instructional System Designer Curtis Miller is on the road this week and next, conducting pilot sessions for the FD372 Milk Plant Sanitation and Inspection course in Lansing, Michigan; and the FD375 Dairy Farm Sanitation and Inspection course in Portland, Oregon. DSFederal worked with FDA experts to create these multi-media training courses for regulatory inspectors. FD372 was developed to provide inspectors with the knowledge and skills they need to evaluate

Alex Emmerman, DSFederal’s Art Director, does everything from creating proposal illustrations to designing infographics to directing training videos. Alex, who has a degree in Fine Arts and additional technical training, has over ten years of experience as a graphic designer and digital marketing specialist; and he serves as the creative force behind all of DSFederal's visual content, on paper and online. In 2014, Alex attended a training class on Section 508 compliance for w

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced this week as its inaugural "Safe + Sound Week," a campaign aimed at raising awareness of workplace health and safety programs. As Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta notes, over four million American workers suffer workplace injuries and illnesses every year, despite ongoing government and industry efforts to improve worker safety. Working with trade associations, the National Safety Council, the American Indu

DSFederal Business Process Analyst Jessica Chen is also an accomplished artist who has studied Chinese painting for over 15 years. Jessica is a member of the Harmonious Art Group, whose work is currently on display at the Annual Chinese Brush Painting and Calligraphy Exhibit at Bohrer Park Activity Center in Gaithersburg. As Jessica recently explained, traditional Chinese artists typically work in ink and watercolor, on rice paper. Although artists are free to choose and int

Memorial Day is just days away, and pools all over Maryland and the DC area will open this weekend, welcoming families for a summer of fun. Sadly, each summer, many children die or are seriously injured in drowning incidents that are nearly always preventable. DSFederal client the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has long worked to educate families about water safety and drowning danger, and this summer, CPSC welcomes Maryland native and Olympic great Michael Phelps

Keturah Dubar, DSFederal's NIH Training Center Project Manager, received a "One OHR" award at the NIH Office of Human Resources May 10 recognition ceremony. Keturah, who joined DSFederal in 2017, was the only contractor honored. With a team of IT Specialists, Program Support Specialists, Graphic Designers, and Administrative Specialists, DSFederal provides program management support for the Training Center. As Project Manager and team leader, Keturah oversees a wide range of

DSFederal client U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACL), Office of Head Start Region 10 held its third annual “Career Connections in Government” event at Seattle’s Columbia Center on March 2, 2017. Over 40 employees of HHS, other Federal agencies, and contractors volunteered their time at the event, offering career guidance and practical advice to disadvantaged students who attend three Seattle-area high schools. DSF

What do Amy Craton, Tom Choate, and Betty White have in common? All achieved long-dreamed-of goals, years after what is traditionally considered retirement age. Craton received her bachelor's degree at age 94, Choate summited Denali at age 78, and White hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the first time at age 88. They also all exemplify the theme of Older Americans Month, which begins today. In a culture in which people sometimes go to extreme lengths to look or feel younger, t

DSFederal is honored and pleased to welcome Lieutenant General Arthur J. Gregg, U.S. Army (Ret.); and Major General Elder Granger, M.D., U.S. Army (Ret.) to our Board of Directors. General Gregg has served as the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Carter. A recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, among many other honors, he is also the inspiration for the Army’s Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg Sustai

In collaboration with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), DSFederal digitized the Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA), a comprehensive resource that categorizes and describes evolving interoperability standards. In its new online format, which went live in December, the ISA has sparked an online dialogue around health IT standards and implementation specifications in clinical settings. The HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Informa

What do the seemingly unrelated fields of professional sports and real estate have in common? Both make very effective use of data analytics, according to DSFederal Lead Data Analyst Echo Wang. Data analytics, as Echo explains it, includes a wide range of analysis techniques, especially analytics applications (i.e., Business Intelligence), such as data harmonization and data visualization. Data can illustrate cause-effect relationships, enable comparisons between programs or

"The more you give, the more you have." Sophia’s philosophy was shared by Ambrosia “Mother Clarke” Clarke (1895 – 1987), whose great grandson is the husband of Sarah Clarke, a DSFederal Librarian at the USAMRIID Medical Library. The mother of 24 children, 12 of whom died in infancy, Mother Clarke spent what little free time she had caring for soldiers and military members. During World War II, she served coffee, soup, and sandwiches to convoys of soldiers traveling through Fr

DSFederal's Ladder Safety mobile app, developed in collaboration with CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has received more than 100,000 downloads since going live in June 2013. According to the National Ladder Institute (NLI), ladder-related accidents account for thousands of injuries and over 300 deaths each year. Hoping to make a significant dent in those statistics, NLI has declared March 2017 Ladder Safety Awareness Month. With our Ladd

How can one website meet the individual needs of thousands of users? Nneka Hector asks—and answers—this question every day in her work as a Senior Web Developer for DSFederal. Nneka supports DSFederal clients with new website design, migration to new platforms, API integration, and UI/UX enhancement. Although she focuses largely on Drupal development, her job doesn’t stop with the front end—Nneka and her team touch every piece of code that makes a website work, from the GUI