Preserving artifacts, going to space, and ending homelessness: the Fix This podcast February round up

This month, the Fix This podcast focused on how technology is used to preserve ancient artifacts, develop the pipeline of scientists that fuel our trips to space, and end homelessness.

Listen to episodes seven and eight, featuring interviews with Digital Divide Data (DDD), NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (NASA JPL), Community Solutions, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) expert on homelessness, Jessie Metcalf.

The episodes are available for streaming and download on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Overcast, iHeartRadio, and via RSS.

From Kenya to space

From workforce development to preserving ancient artifacts, the cloud changes how we think about the future. In episode seven, we talked to Sameer Raina, president of Digital Divide Data (DDD), about the nonprofit’s project to digitize the National Museum of Kenya’s one-of-a-kind, ancient collections. This project helps to preserve some of the oldest cultural artifacts in human history and makes the museum’s collection accessible to researchers and students around the world. During phase one of the project, DDD upskilled the museum’s existing staff with cloud training.

Listen to Fix This episode 7, “From Kenya to space”:

We also caught up with Tom Soderstrom, IT chief technology officer at NASA JPL. The day-to-day work of NASA JPL is unique and requires a pipeline of creative tech talent. Soderstrom shares how NASA JPL continues to hire the brightest, most curious minds in technology and what role the cloud plays in the scientists of today and tomorrow. Listen to the Fix This podcast episode #07, “From Kenya to space.”

Data in homelessness

We went to Kenya and space in episode seven, but we shifted gears and returned Earth-side in episode eight to explore how the cloud and data interoperability can improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

We chatted with homelessness subject matter expert, Jessie Metcalf, from AWS. Data plays a key role in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) point-in-time count conducted annually every January. Metcalf sets the stage for why data is important to understanding the issue of homelessness and what role it plays in the solution.

Listen to Fix This episode 8, “Data in homelessness”:

Next up, we interviewed Beth Sandor and Jake Maguire, principals at the US-based nonprofit, Community Solutions, about how communities are already reaching “functional zero” for veteran and chronic homeless populations. They shared how the right puzzle pieces may already exist to end homelessness—it’s about connecting the dots and building systems with data interoperability. Listen to the Fix This podcast episode #08, “Data in homelessness.”

Stay tuned for more bi-weekly episodes of Fix This by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Overcast, iHeartRadio, and via RSS.

Learn more about DDD’s project with NMK, and read more stories about the cloud and homelessness, including a story from HUD and Community Solutions. Read the January Fix This podcast round up here.