By Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
The podcast currently has 48 episodes available.
The ORISE Ignite Off! competition showcases the talents of interns from participating federal agencies and offices as they share their research through Ignite Talks. Each competitor has five minutes to present their project, using 20 picture-centric slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, host Michael Holtz talks to the winners of the 2024 ORISE Ignite Off! Featured are Jonathan Blutinger, Ph.D., U.S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center; Erik Head, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Christie Kim, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Ashley Daniszewski, Ph.D., National Energy Technology Laboratory. They are the first, second, third and fan favorite winners, respectively. Check out the episode and learn more about the topics of their presentations. To learn more about the ORISE Ignite Off!, visit https://orise.orau.gov/internships-fellowships/resources/ignite-off-competition.html.
Zachary Minchow-Proffitt is a member of the 2025 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship cohort. He is also the guest co-host for this cohort's series of ORISE Featurecast episodes focused on the AEF program. In this episode, Zak introduces himself and talks with host Michael Holtz about his career, how he became interested in teaching, what he hopes to gain from his AEF experience, and what he hopes to bring to the table as podcast co-host.
Zachary Minchow-Proffitt is a 2024-2025 Einstein Fellow with the Department of Energy. Before this fellowship, Zak was a lead teacher and mentor at the Academies of Loudoun, a public STEM magnet school in northern Virginia. As a veteran science and research teacher, Zak is passionate about elevating the STEM research experience of all students. He believes that the future of STEM education will incorporate deeper, personalized, and inclusive education, with a focus on an integrated scientific mindset, as opposed to the traditional “siloed” approach to how we view the world. Zak is looking forward to the ways in which the Einstein Fellowship will continue to broaden his perspective, develop his advocacy, and enhance his ability to make a meaningful impact in the world of STEM.
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Act gives the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) the responsibility for managing the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship. The DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) manages this program for DOE in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and the partnering Federal agencies, which, at the time of this recording, included the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Library of Congress (LOC), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The DOE sponsors five placements in congressional offices.
To learn more about
the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.
Naveed Sekender is an intern in the National Nuclear Security Administration Minority Serving Institution Internship Program stationed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He is stationed at the High Performance Computing Department, where he analyzes data sets for programming language translation. He says the team he is assigned to can ultimately help make supercomputers run more efficiently. Sakender explains that conducting research with supercomputers allows for cutting edge research, like helping discover drugs that will be effective against viruses like COVID-19. Join hosts Michael Holtz and Matthew Underwood in a conversation with Sekender about his internship, how his interest in science was spurred and where he hopes to go from here. To learn more about the NNSA Minority Serving Institution Internship Program, visit https://orise.orau.gov/nnsa-msiip/index.html.
ORISE annually announces the recipients of the Future of Science Awards, which celebrate excellence performed by ORISE participants in the areas of scientific achievement, professional growth, project contributions and leadership. Reese Tierney received the Graduate Student and Post-Master's Degree Award in 2023. Tierney is an epidemiologist in the Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During her tenure in CDC’s ORISE Research Participation Program, Tierney assisted CDC scientists with several high-priority projects, including the development foodborne illness source attribution estimates, investigation of disparities in foodborne illness, and analysis of social and environmental factors associated with salmonellosis. In this conversation, hosts Michael Holtz and Matthew Underwood talk to Tierney about her award, her passion for community-based public health and so much more.
In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, host Michael Holtz and guest co-host Amy Szczepanski talk to Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows who spent their fellowship time on Capitol Hill. They talk about what it's like to work behind the scenes in the nation's seat of power, the people they met, and what they will take back to their communities from their experiences.
Steve Robinson was a 2005 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow in the office of Senator Barack Obama. During his time as a Senate staffer, he also served as a mentor for students in DCPS, as a reading tutor for elementary grade students and as a math tutor with middle school students. Prior to joining the Einstein Fellowship, Steve was a high school science teacher in Eugene, Oregon. Steve Robinson joined the Department of Education as a Special Advisor to Secretary Arne Duncan. Prior to joining the Department, Robinson served as the Legislative Assistant for education in the office of then-Senator Barack Obama, advised on policy development during the presidential campaign, and worked on education issues with the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team.
Jacquelyn (Freeman) Southerland was a 2023-2024 Einstein Fellow in the office of Rep. Suzanne Bonamici. Prior to becoming a Fellow, Jacquelyn served as the science Department Chair and Science Content Lead at Prince George County's Public Schools. After completing her undergraduate coursework in Life Science: Biology, Ms Southerland expanded her knowledge in environmental sciences through internships with the University of Massachusetts: Boston, the University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill. There her research earned her the National Science Fellowship Grant. She continues to encourage other educators on the importance of STEM through relativity through integrated learning practices.
Tyler Dufrene is a 2022-2023 Einstein Fellow placed on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. He taught AP Physics and Chemistry in Raceland, Louisiana, and in 2018, was elected to the Lafourche Parish School Board. Tyler currently serves as a Professional Learning Specialist for Arlington Public Schools and a Master Teacher of Invention and Intellectual Property (MTIP) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Amy Szczepanski, a high school teacher from New York City, is currently serving as the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator at the Department of Energy (DOE) in the Office of Workforce Development of Teachers and Scientists (WDTS). Currently, Amy is working on supporting the programs WDTS provides as well as expanding her own professional development as an educator.
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Act gives the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) the responsibility for managing the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship. The DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) manages this program for DOE in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and the partnering Federal agencies, which, at the time of this recording, included the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Library of Congress (LOC), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The DOE sponsors five placements in congressional offices.
To learn more about
the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.
Have you ever felt like you don't belong in the job you have, or that if people really knew you they wouldn't like you, or that you would be unmasked as a fraud? Imposter syndrome happens to all of us at some point in our lives. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, host Michael Holtz talks with Beth White, Ph.D., ORISE senior program manager, about this important issue. Many of the participants Holtz has interviewed over the years talk about the imposter syndrome they have felt. White breaks down what imposter syndrome is, how it often originates in young people, how it manifests psychologically and emotionally, and how to overcome it. Holtz and White also share moments from their own lives where they've felt like imposters. If you've ever felt that, this episode is for you.
Jake Krauss is a storyteller. As an ORISE Fellow in the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water, Krauss has used his communications skills to tell the stories of scientists and the work they do. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, hosts Michael Holtz and Matthew Underwood talk to Krauss about his work, including his travels to Madagascar and Australia. We discuss the power of storytelling to help people understand science, his journey from academia to media, the importance of being open to making adjustments along your career path, and what brings Krauss joy.
The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency is one of the latest government agencies where Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows are serving. in this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, host Michael Holtz and guest host Amy Szczepanski talk to Jess Hexsel and Ashley Benitez-Smith about their time at CISA, the role educators can play in cybersecurity, some of the educational materials they've developed, and why they chose to apply to be part of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship.
Jess Hexsel is currently a Curriculum Development Specialist for CYBER.ORG and is a former high school math and computer science teacher. With a BA in Mathematics and Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an Educational Technology concentration, Jess taught Geometry, AP Computer Science, and Functional and Object-Oriented Programming in Palo Alto, Calif., for 12 years.
Ashley Benitez-Smith is a secondary computer science and cybersecurity educator from Maryland, with over 11 years of experience. She believes every student can learn in a fun, safe, and engaging classroom environment and wishes to bring cybersecurity education into multiple STEM curricula to prepare students and educators for an ever-changing digital landscape.
Amy Szczepanski, a high school teacher from New York City, is currently serving as the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator at the Department of Energy (DOE) in the Office of Workforce Development of Teachers and Scientists (WDTS). Currently, Amy is working on supporting the programs WDTS provides as well as expanding her own professional development as an educator.
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Act gives the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) the responsibility for managing the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship. The DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) manages this program for DOE in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and the partnering Federal agencies, which, at the time of this recording, included the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Library of Congress (LOC), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The DOE sponsors five placements in congressional offices.
To learn more about
the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.
Molly Hornbuckle is a former ORISE intern who is now director of lead generation at YouScience, a company that helps students discover their natural aptitudes and connect those aptitudes to their educational and career aspirations. ORISE Featurecast hosts Michael Holtz and Matthew Underwood talk to Hornbuckle about her career trajectory, which has been primarily focused on education in some form. She discusses a YouScience survey that shows a significant gap in students' aptitude with computers and the career prospects available to them. Hornbuckle talks about YouScience's mission, her time as an ORISE volunteer, the role of mentorship and how she is contributing to educating future generations. To learn more about YouScience, visit https://www.youscience.com/.
Marie Russell is an ORISE postdoctoral fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency studying the intersection of climate change and human health. Her doctoral degree is in mosquito ecology and she recently published a perspective piece in "EcoHealth" on beneficial use impairments (think litter on beaches as one example) in the Great Lakes Region and the increased risk of mosquito-borne disease, which garnered some media interest and interview opportunities. In this conversation, Russell talks to guest host Matthew Underwood about her research, the perspective piece, how she became interested in the field of mosquito ecology, and what she hopes happens next.
To read the Detroit News story about Russell's research, visit How trash, sprawl and a warming world impact Michigan mosquito seasons | Science & Technology News | ArcaMax Publishing
To learn more about ORISE opportunities at the EPA, visit Current EPA Research Opportunities | ORISE Internship/Research Participation Programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (orau.gov)
The podcast currently has 48 episodes available.