NWDTW 2024: Full Schedule

8:00am CDT

Train-the-Trainer Short Course

This workshop is a compact version of a previously offered series designed to serve USGS employees aimed at improving training effectiveness in their centers and offices. Participants will learn best practices in adult learning and apply them to training scenarios in their individual work environments. There will be an opportunity for large and smaller group conversations to process the materials and to encourage collaborating and sharing resources.

Speakers

Grant Walters

Senior Learning & Development Advisor (Contractor) - Water Workforce Development & Training, United States Geological Survey/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Monday July 15, 2024 8:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Midway 8

LEADERSHIP, COURSE

Presented By Water Workforce Development & Training Function
Intended Audience General Audience
Duration 4 Hours

8:00am CDT

Data Chief and Field Office Chief Meeting

Data Chiefs and Field Office Chiefs have an opportunity to meet on Monday (July 15) to discuss any and all issues facing our Hydrologic Networks staff. During the all-day meeting, we'll hear from the WMA, staff of the HNB, and other colleagues who lead efforts in FPS, training, CRP/AAA, and QA/QC. As important, an open forum will be provided to discuss the varied challenges (budgets; hiring; employee performance, advancement, and engagement) we all face in our Centers.

Speakers

Gary Johnson

Monday July 15, 2024 8:00am - 5:00pm CDT
Regency Ballroom C

LEADERSHIP, LISTENING SESSION

Presented By Your WSC
Intended Audience Advanced
Duration 6 Hours

1:00pm CDT

An Update on the Next Generation Water Observing System

The Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) program is designed to enhance water observations in basins representative of major hydrologic regions of the U.S. to better support water availability assessments, management, and prediction. NGWOS will do so by providing high-resolution, real-time data on water quantity, quality, and use, as well as advance the development and application of new sensor technologies and remote sensing methods. This presentation will provide an update on the planning and implementation of monitoring in the NGWOS basins including basin selection, monitoring implementation, and research and development priorities.

Speakers

Brian Pellerin

Tuesday July 16, 2024 1:00pm - 1:20pm CDT
Midway 3+4

LEADERSHIP, ANALYSIS

Presented By WMA (Headquarters)
Intended Audience General Audience
Duration 20 minutes

1:00pm CDT

Joint HNB-OQA Listening Session on Field Support Needs

Staff from the Hydrologic Networks Branch (HNB) and Office of Quality Assurance (OQA) will present their respective roles and expertise in field support and let attendees describe their support needs, ask questions, etc. This is an open house style event, where attendees can come and go. In HNB, participants include staff in the HNB Field Support and Research to Operations Team. In OQA, participants include the Technical Quality Assurance Advisors.

Speakers

Jeffery East

Technical Quality Assurance Advisor, USGS

Terry Kenney

Michelle Sneed

Technical Quality Assurance Advisor for Groundwater Science, Office of Quality Assurance

Tim Straub

Field Support and Research to Operations Supervisor, Hydrologic Networks Branch, Observing Systems Division, WMA

Molly Wood

Hydrologic Networks Branch Chief, USGS WMA

Tuesday July 16, 2024 1:00pm - 2:20pm CDT
Midway 10

LEADERSHIP, LISTENING SESSION

Presented By Hydrologic Networks Branch (HNB)
Intended Audience General Audience
Duration 110 minutes

2:00pm CDT

Business of Data Operations - Tools and workflows every Data Chief should know about funding gaging networks

One day you're using cool tools in the field, the next day you are a field office chief or data chief being asked to do the no fun business aspects of the job. Funding gaging networks is a complicated business including: gaging costs, cooperator negotiations, agreement signatures, accounting, and budgeting. The USGS WMA has several tools including Site Funding Tracking Application (SiFTA) to assist with and standardize these business operations. Several tools and workflows will be presented as a short introduction to managing the funding aspects of gage operations. Target audience is current and prospective field office chiefs / data chiefs and LDMs.

Speakers

Brian Reece

Hydrologist, USGS

I currently work at Water Mission Area Headquarters in the Office of Planning and Programming living on the bridge between science and business. I and a small team of data / physical scientists and business analysts do reporting on our USGS operations. We facilitate the efficient... Read More →

Tuesday July 16, 2024 2:00pm - 2:20pm CDT
Midway 7

LEADERSHIP, TIPS AND TRICKS

Presented By WMA (Headquarters)
Intended Audience Intermediate
Duration 20 minutes

2:00pm CDT

DEIA

Speakers

Kristy Benson

Tuesday July 16, 2024 2:00pm - 2:20pm CDT
Midway 9

LEADERSHIP, LISTENING SESSION

Presented By Your WSC
Intended Audience General Audience
Duration 20 minutes

10:30am CDT

"How Do You Do?" Hiring the Right People

DISCUSSION GROUP--This guided session aims to provide a venue for dialogue amongst data chiefs, field office chiefs, and/or field office leadership on different strategies for recruiting and selecting the best possible candidates. We all understand the challenges with staffing, both hiring and retaining, but there are lessons that can be learned from each other. Specific topics may include effective recruiting, navigating the challenges in the hiring process, and keys to retaining your current staff. Outcomes of the discussion should be a better national level understanding of how to navigate the challenges with staffing and possibly a unified message that could be shared to encourage needed improvements.

Speakers

Jeremy White

Supv Hydrologic Technician, US Geological Survey

I have been in the VA-WV WSC for over 25 years and have had the opportunity to do work within many different water disciplines across my career. For the past 10+ years, I have served as the Field Office Chief for the Charleston, WV, office.

Wednesday July 17, 2024 10:30am - 11:20am CDT
Midway 11

LEADERSHIP, LISTENING SESSION

Presented By Your WSC
Intended Audience Advanced
Duration 50 minutes

10:30am CDT

Q&A on Policies, Procedures, and Methods with HNB and OQA

During the plenary talks, attendees will hear about OQA and OCOO efforts to advance policies, procedures, and methods (PPM) development to support the Water Enterprise. This joint session, offered by the Hydrologic Network Branch (HNB) and Office of Quality Assurance (OQA), will allow attendees to ask questions about the new PPM Function, the PPM development process, and current priorities for PPM development in the coming year.

Speakers

Mike Rehmel

Tim Straub

Field Support and Research to Operations Supervisor, Hydrologic Networks Branch, Observing Systems Division, WMA

Molly Wood

Hydrologic Networks Branch Chief, USGS WMA

Wednesday July 17, 2024 10:30am - 11:20am CDT
Grand Ballroom A

LEADERSHIP, LISTENING SESSION

Presented By Hydrologic Networks Branch (HNB)
Intended Audience General Audience
Duration 50 minutes

3:00pm CDT

Training Basics for Water Workforce Instructors and Presenters

Beyond subject matter expertise, developing effective training for any audience requires significant planning, organization, and attention to detail to ensure learners receive the maximum benefit. This session is geared toward new or aspiring instructors and presenters who want to learn about foundational training logistics, modalities, and delivery. Participants will gain insight into topics like venue selection, audience engagement, and creating accessible and helpful presentations.

Speakers

Grant Walters

Senior Learning & Development Advisor (Contractor) - Water Workforce Development & Training, United States Geological Survey/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:00pm - 4:20pm CDT
Midway 10

LEADERSHIP, TIPS AND TRICKS

Presented By Water Workforce Development & Training Function
Intended Audience Introductory
Duration 80 minutes

8:00am CDT

"How Do You Do?" Running Field Trips

DISCUSSION GROUP--This guided session aims to provide a venue for dialogue amongst data chiefs, field office chiefs, and/or field office leadership on different strategies for the routine operation and maintenance of streamgaging networks. Specific topics may include frequency of site visits, solo vs paired trips, tools being used to help determine when a site visit is needed, and approaches to "extra maintenance" such as station levels. Outcomes of the discussion should be a better national-level understanding of how to optimize operations with a goal of producing high quality data in the most cost effective manner.

Speakers

Jeremy White

Supv Hydrologic Technician, US Geological Survey

Thursday July 18, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Midway 9

LEADERSHIP, LISTENING SESSION

Presented By Your WSC
Intended Audience Advanced
Duration 50 minutes

8:00am CDT

Training Design and Best Practices

This presentation is an overview and discussion of training methods/techniques for scientific activities. It will highlight common misunderstandings about adult learning and present a framework for the development and implementation of training activities. It will provide insight that will allow both trainers and trainees make the most of their efforts. This presentation will also include an introduction to the WMA sponsored Streamgage Basics training and the Water Quality and Groundwater trainings that are currently in development, along with a discussion of how they can be leveraged to enhance new technician training in your current training program.

Speakers

Jeffrey Woods

Data Chief, OKI WSC

Katherine Grindle

Hydrologist, USGS

Katherine Grindle is a Hydrologist with the New York Water Science Center. She has been with the U. S. Geological Survey since 2015. Before becoming a Hydrologist with New York’s Observing Systems Water Quality Branch, she was a hydrologic technician in Charleston WV, collecting... Read More →

Megan Rogers

Thursday July 18, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Midway 11

LEADERSHIP, TIPS AND TRICKS

Presented By Your WSC
Intended Audience General Audience
Duration 50 minutes

9:00am CDT

Goal Setting to Achieve Your Dreams!

How do I write an Individual Development Plan (IDP)? How do I discuss my career aspirations with my supervisor? This talk will cover how you can use SMART objectives to inform your IDP. Along the way, we'll discuss strategies to have an effective discussion with your supervisor about your career goals and how to solicit their feedback to help you achieve your dreams.

Speakers

Megan Rogers

Thursday July 18, 2024 9:00am - 9:20am CDT
Midway 9

LEADERSHIP, TIPS AND TRICKS

Presented By Your WSC
Intended Audience General Audience
Duration 20 minutes

10:00am CDT

Extending Your WSC Operations to the Regional Level: Lessons Learned in the NAAR Region

Water Science Centers in the NAAR have embraced an approach that extends their operations beyond their respective centers to share expertise and resources across the region. This is being done through a number of regional working groups that include training and tool development, as well as annual regional AD/FOC face-to-face meetings. This session aims to be a discussion about the successes and limitations of this regional-level approach.

Speakers

Shaun Wicklein

Supervisory Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey

Jeremy White

Supv Hydrologic Technician, US Geological Survey

Thursday July 18, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Midway 11

LEADERSHIP, ANALYSIS

Presented By Your WSC
Intended Audience Advanced
Duration 50 minutes

10:00am CDT

Updates on USGS Water Data for the Nation: Modernizing how you access water data

USGS is the largest provider of in situ water data in the world and has delivered real-time water information on the web for decades. We are in the midst of a multi-year effort to modernize websites and services to increase usability and to take advantage of modern mobile devices and web technology. As the availability of modernized features and pages in WDFN continues to grow, we are also focusing on decommission of legacy NWISweb pages. This talk will share updates on the latest features released, as well as plans for the coming months and what to expect with legacy decommissions. In addition, we’ll explore how users can access and interact with USGS water data, either from high-volume data streams such as APIs and web services, through next-generation interactive web pages, or mobile-friendly, map-based dashboards.

Speakers

Shawna Gregory

Water Data for the Nation Product Owner

Shawna Gregory is a Product Owner for Water Data for the Nation, the primary access point for real-time and historical USGS water data and information. In this role, Shawna is leading a user-centered design approach to web-based delivery applications as the USGS is modernizing water... Read More →

Thursday July 18, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Midway 10

LEADERSHIP, ANALYSIS

Presented By WMA (Headquarters)
Intended Audience LDMs
Duration 50 minutes

11:00am CDT

SAWSC Women in Science: An Overview

This presentation will provide an overview of the history and development of the SAWSC Women in Science Group. We will highlight what the group has accomplished and present short- and long-term goals for the future. Our hope is to reach anyone who is interested in beginning or is part of a group like this one in their own Center.

Speakers

Sarina Little

Hydrologic Technician, USGS

Lara Chapman

Thursday July 18, 2024 11:00am - 11:20am CDT
Midway 9

LEADERSHIP, ANALYSIS

Presented By Your WSC
Intended Audience General Audience
Duration 20 minutes

1:00pm CDT

"How Do You Do?" Making AAA Work

DISCUSSION GROUP--This guided session aims to provide a venue for dialogue amongst data chiefs, field office chiefs, and/or field office leadership on different strategies for analyzing, approving, and auditing continuous data. Specific topics may include distribution of assignments, tools being used to track progress and/or latency, and challenges associated with the process. Outcomes of the discussion should be a better national level understanding of how to optimize operations with a goal of producing high quality data in the most timely and cost-effective manner.

Speakers

Jeremy White

Supv Hydrologic Technician, US Geological Survey

Thursday July 18, 2024 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Midway 3+4

LEADERSHIP, LISTENING SESSION

Presented By Your WSC
Intended Audience Advanced
Duration 50 minutes

2:00pm CDT

Federal Priority Network Open Season Results

This presentation will present initial results of the recent Federal Priority Streamgage (FPS) Network Open Season, with a first look at the new network design of eligible locations based upon discussions from multiple federal partners.

Speakers

Brian McCallum

National Streamgage Network Coordinator, USGS-WMA-OSD

Brian McCallum is currently the National Streamgage Network Coordinator within the USGS Water Mission Area, Observing Systems Division. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelors (1991) and master’s degrees (1992) in civil engineering. He started full-time... Read More →

Cory Angeroth

Deputy Portfolio CoordinatorWater Observing Systems PortfolioHave worked most of my career on Center and National level data collection programs and projects.

Thursday July 18, 2024 2:00pm - 2:20pm CDT
Midway 8

LEADERSHIP, ANALYSIS

Presented By WMA (Headquarters)
Intended Audience Intermediate
Duration 20 minutes