2026 ORISE Ignite Off! competition winners announced
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 All ORISE Ignite Off! Competition, an annual event showcasing interns and fellows in ORISE-administered programs as they present their research through dynamic, five-minute Ignite Talks.
The top three winners were announced during a virtual national viewing event held Aug. 26 as part of the 2026 ORISE Symposium, which showcased Ignite Talks from all 10 finalists. Audience members also selected a “Fan Favorite” presentation through a live vote.
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First Place: Shams Al Azzawi
Program: Research Student Internships Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Presentation Title: “Isotope Separation Visualization with Hyperspectral Imaging”
Mentors: Kristian Myhre, Ph.D., and Cannon Giglio, Ph.D.
Academic Level: Undergraduate
Institution: Virginia Commonwealth University
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Third Place: JB Zhu
Program: Research Student Internships Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Presentation Title: “Turbulence & You”
Mentor: Wes Brewer, Ph.D.
Academic Level: Post-Bachelor’s
Institution: Brown University
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Second Place : Meaghan Lightfoot
Program: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Presentation Title: “Bridging Science & Education: Engaging Youth with Great Lakes Data”
Mentors: Anne Scofield, Ph.D., and Erica Yang
Academic Level: Post-Master’s
Institution: University of Delaware
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Fan Favorite Award: Sanskriti Dwivedi
Program: Education Collaboration at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Presentation Title: “Novel Thermotolerance Genes Identified in Arabidopsis thaliana”
Mentor: Jay Chen, Ph.D.
Academic Level: Post-Bachelor’s
Institution: University of North Texas
The other finalists in the event were:
Greta Franke
- Program: Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Presentation Title: "Understanding a hidden world: Exploring the nuances of root decomposition in response to detritus manipulation"
- Mentor: Fernanda Santos, Ph.D.
- Academic Level: Post-Bachelor’s
- Institution: Emory University
Sheryl Arya
- Program: Education Collaboration at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Presentation Title: “Who’s Turning Up the Heat?”
- Mentors: Forrest Hoffman, Ph.D., and Bharat Sharma, Ph.D.
- Academic Level: Undergraduate
- Institution: Arizona State University
Eva Ciuffetelli
- Program: Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program, National Laboratory of the Rockies
- Presentation Title: "Waste or Fuel?: The Chemistry Driving Energy Security"
- Mentor: Alon Lidor, Ph.D.
- Academic Level: Undergraduate
- Institution: University of Rochester
Tori Thurber
- Program: HS-POWER Program, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Presentation Title: “Nature's Fingerprint: The Power of Forensic Palynology”
- Mentor: Shannon Ferguson, Ph.D.
- Academic Level: Undergraduate
- Institution: University of Nebraska
Julisa Delfin Gutierrez
- Program: DOE Scholars Program
- Presentation Title: “AI Integration for SIPP Process Optimization”
- Mentor: Lachelle Barney
- Academic Level: Post-Master’s
- Institution: DePaul University
Andrew Maris
- Program: DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Postdoctoral Research Program
- Presentation Title: “Not So Good Vibrations: Building Stronger Jars for Laboratory Stars”
- Mentor: Carlos Paz-Soldan, Ph.D. (Columbia University)
- Academic Level: Postdoctoral
- Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The annual Ignite Off! competition highlights the talents of ORISE participants through a dynamic five-minute presentation known as an Ignite Talk . Competitors present their research using 20 image-focused slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds — challenging participants to communicate their research clearly, creatively and concisely.
Visit the ORISE Ignite Off! webpage to learn more about the competition and see the presentations of past winners.
Media Contacts
Pam Bonee
Director, Communications
Phone: 865.603.5142
pam.bonee@orau.org
Wendy West
Manager, Communications
Phone: 865.207.7953
wendy.west@orau.org
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) asset that is dedicated to enabling critical scientific, research, and health initiatives of the department and its laboratory system by providing world class expertise in STEM workforce development, scientific and technical reviews, and the evaluation of radiation exposure and environmental contamination.
ORISE is managed by ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and federal contractor, for DOE’s Office of Science. The single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.osti.gov.