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Meet a Participant

One of the best ways to learn about opportunities at the USDA-APHIS is through the eyes of a past participant.


Participant Highlight Form

ORISE is lucky to have so many great fellows/participants and mentors in our ORISE Research Participation Programs. We would like to be able to highlight the profiles of our active fellows, alumni, and mentors on our website, on our social media accounts, in newsletters, videos, or press releases. Do you have a mentor or a fellow/participant in the Research Participation Program whose accomplishments you would like to see highlighted through ORISE?

Contact ORISE to highlight a current or former participant or mentor.


  • timothy-boston-photo.jpg

    Timothy Boston

    Timothy Boston, an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellow at the USDA APHIS Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, evaluates the performance of novel diagnostic technologies for rapid detection of Foot-and-Mouth disease virus (FMDV) as part of an internship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T).

  • My favorite part of the program is the willingness of everyone in APHIS staff to provide scientific training in areas relevant to their specific field. This ranged from sequencing, diagnostics and validation to reagent and vaccine production. Occasionally, I also shadow other microbiologists in their work which helps broaden my horizon.

    —Timothy Boston