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Episode 34: How Albert Einstein Fellows helped develop the five-year federal strategy for STEM education
This episode of the ORISE Featurecast is our monthly look at the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. Matthew Underwood sits in as guest host for this episode with guest co-host Amy Szczepanski, a member of the current AEF cohort. Matthew and Amy talk with three members of the 2017 AEF cohort – John Galisky, Chris Wright and Kelly McCarthy – who participated in the development of the five-year strategy for STEM education. The five-year strategy was an effort to strengthen the federal government's commitment in the STEM education ecosystem to equity and diversity, evidence -based practices, and engagement with the national STEM community. The strategy highlighted collaboration with learners, families, educators, community leaders, and employers. The AEF fellows were among the many stakeholders included in the development of the plan, which really was focused on expanding and improving the nation's capacity for STEM education and preparing our future workforce.
Previous Episodes
The Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office has a fundamental role to collect and disseminate data on the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes waters. Isabel Dunn and Suse LaGory are ORISE research program participants at EPA GLNPO. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, Dunn and LaGory talk about their love of the Great Lakes region, the importance of conservation, what it's like conducting research on the Lake Guardian, the EPA's Great Lakes research vessel, what led them to become interested in science as a career, the importance of mentorship and collaboration, and so much more. Learn more about research opportunities at the EPA at https://orise.orau.gov/epa/.
The Library of Congress serves as the research library for the U.S. Congress and is also the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The Library of Congress manages the largest collection of books, photographs, maps, and manuscripts in the world. Programs for learners of all ages are constantly in development, making the Library perfectly suited for Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, host Michael Holtz and co-host Amy Szczepanski talk to Amara Alexander and Kelsey Beeghly about their AEF experiences at the Library of Congress. To learn more about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.
Melissa de Vera is an assistant director in the Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction Services for the Indian Health Service. The IHS is recruiting interns for its summer program. de Vera talks about the trajectory of her career and the surprising turn her life took toward environmental engineering, and what interns will do during their summer appointment. she says that while interns are classified as civil or environmental engineers, they don't have to be studying those disciplines. Rather, applicants should have a heart for public service.
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services that is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indian and Alaska Native people. The Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction (DSFC) with IHS administers a nationwide Sanitation Facilities Construction (SFC) program that is responsible for the delivery of environmental engineering services and sanitation facilities to American Indians and Alaska Native people.
To apply, go to https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/HHS-IHS-2024-0005
Mariana Sorroza is an intern in the National Nuclear Security Administration Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program. Her research focuses on the importance of "soft skills," like interpersonal communication, presentation skills and the like. While they're called "soft," Sorroza believes these skills to be very important. In this episode, host Michael Holtz talks to Sorroza about her internship, plans for her future, the importance of representation in the science and the importance of taking care of your mental health. Tune in for a wide-ranging and important conversation.
This episode of the ORISE Featurecast continues our monthly exploration of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Fellowship. This month, host Michael Holtz and guest co-host Amy Szczepanski talk to two educators who are AEF Fellows at the USGS. They talk to Sarah Slack and Samantha Willsey about a day in the life at USGS, what inspired them to become educators, what they hope to take back to their communities when their fellowships end, and so much more. To learn more about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.
Jenny Paul, who is an ORISE Postdoctoral Fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf Ecosystem Measuring and Monitoring Division and Gulf of Mexico Division, is the recipient of the ORISE Future of Science Postdoctoral Award. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, Paul and host Michael Holtz discuss her research in benthic ecologies, what the Future of Science Award means to her, the importance of mentorship and collaboration, and so much more. Learn more about Paul and the ORISE Future of Science Awards.
Nathan Boyle, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program, has studied machine learning for predicting fallout from chemical biological radiological and nuclear weapons. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, Boyle discusses his research emphasis during his fellowship, where he is now, the value of mentorship and collaboration in the research process and so much more. Learn more about Boyle and the IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program.
Educators who are selected for the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship say the program changes their lives and their classrooms for the better. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, Michael Holtz talks to four current and former AEF Fellows about how the program has impacted their lives and the lives of their students. Gretel von Bargen, Kelly Day, Amy Szczepanski, and Pascale Creek Pinner, Ph.D., share their experiences in this wide-ranging and informative conversation.
Elizanette Lopez is an ORISE Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she is studying how to develop plans for preparing and responding to public health emergencies. In this conversation with host Michael Holtz, Lopez discusses the evolution of her career since her earliest interest in becoming a scientist at the age of seven and deciding she wanted to work for the CDC as early as age eight. The discussion ranges from the value of collaboration and mentorship to the importance of representation as a Hispanic scientist, and finding and building a community of support. Learn more about Lopez and her research.
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for accomplished K-12 educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to serve in the national education arena. Fellows spend eleven months working in Federal agencies or in U.S. Congressional offices, applying their extensive knowledge and classroom experiences to national education program and/or education policy efforts. In this episode, host Michael Holtz talks with Jill Latchana, ORISE program manager for the AEF, and Lachanda Garrison, a U.S Department of Energy AEF Fellow on Capitol Hill. In this episode, Garrison shares her experience as an educator and as a Fellow, and the importance of hearing from constituents of elected officials. The conversation is wide-ranging and joyful.
Dr. Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah, a former ORISE Fellow at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the undergraduate program director for Health Policy and and Behavioral Sciences at the Georgia State University School of Public Health. She was honored with the 2023 Early Career Teaching Excellence Award from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health for her passion for teaching and her service to her profession. In this conversation for the ORISE Featurecast, Armstrong-Mensah talks about her work as a clinical professor, taking students to Ghana to study public health issues, and how public health issues in one part of the world impact people everywhere, and so much more. Learn more about Armstong-Mensah at her ORISE Success Story.
Eriko Padron Regalado is an ORISE Fellow at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he is conducting research on immunoassays and vaccines. Eriko is originally from Mexico and has studied in Saudi Arabia and at Oxford University in England. He is joined by Yvonne Garcia, health communications specialist at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, who conducts outreach in an effort to recruit Hispanic students into science. Padron shares his incredible career journey (seriously, it's amazing), and he and Garcia discuss the importance of representation in the sciences. Both are committed to opening up opportunities in science for young Hispanic students and researchers. Join host Michael Holtz for an interesting and engaging conversation. Learn more about Regalado at his ORISE Success Story.
Mariah Guevara, who holds a biomedical engineering degree from Brown University, has a full plate and she loves it! At the time she and host Michael Holtz had this conversation, Guevara had recently been named a Fulbright Scholar. She was teaching students to prepare for the American College Testing (ACT) Test part time, conducting research at a local university and studying for the Medical College Admission Test. And, she was preparing to go to Spain to teach English as part of her Fulbright Scholarship. She had been an ORISE intern at the Department of Homeland Security Transition Branch, where she synthesized data about innovative technologies for a report that Congress will use to determine funding. Tune in for a fun and informative interview.