FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 23, 2003
FY04-08
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Scholars and Fellows Meet in D.C., Secretary Tom Ridge Addresses Students
OAK RIDGE, TENN -- All 100 recipients of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Scholarship and Fellowship awards, administered by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), recently convened in Washington, D.C. University of Tennessee alumnus Joshua Brock Thomas was among the award recipients. During the meeting, students attended a luncheon with DHS Secretary Tom Ridge, met with representatives on Capitol Hill, and explored internship opportunities at DHS-affiliated labs.
Secretary Ridge addressed the scholars and fellows at a luncheon at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Ridge welcomed the students to the DHS family and congratulated them on their achievement. “When I look around this room I see more than just bright minds and bold dreams. I see how far the Department has come since its early days, really just months ago, when we were first hammering out the framework for homeland security operations,” said Ridge.
Ridge fielded questions and interacted with the students after his speech. Charles McQueary, DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology, said "I was struck when I walked in the front door [of AAAS] by the level of communication and interaction that I saw.” McQueary noted that he expects the number of selected students to double next year.
The DHS fellows attended a briefing on Capitol Hill, where the chairman of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, Chris Cox (Representative from California), congratulated the students and took questions from the floor. "I was impressed by the caliber of questions asked of Chairman Cox by the students. It was an added bonus that the event was televised on C-Span,” said Leigh Ann Pennington (ORISE).
During the Lab Fair, students spoke with representatives from 16 DHS-affiliated laboratories about current research projects and summer internship opportunities, which are required by the DHS program. By meeting with each lab representative, students gained insights about how R&D is executed throughout the homeland security complex. DHS and ORISE will assist with match-making in early 2004 for the summer internships.
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is a U.S. Department of Energy institute focusing on scientific initiatives to research health risks from occupational hazards, assess environmental cleanup, respond to radiation medical emergencies, support national security and emergency preparedness, and educate the next generation of scientists. ORISE is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities.