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Episode 47: We grow by learning from others: Zachary Minchow-Proffitt on the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship
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. To learn more about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.
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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. Sekender 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.
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, host Michael Holtz and guest co-host Amy Szczepanski talk to Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows who spent their fellowship time on Capitol Hill. Steve Robinson, a 2005 Fellow, Jacquelyn Southerland (2023-24), and Tyler Dufresne (2022-23) 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. The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Act (.PDF) 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 ORISE and the partnering Federal agencies, which, at the time of this recording, included the Department of Defense, DOE, the Library of Congress, NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Science Foundation. DOE sponsors five placements in congressional offices.
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 Szcepanski 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.
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.
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 learn more about ORISE opportunities at the EPA, visit Current EPA Research Opportunities.
Victoria Knight is a health policy reporter for Axios, on online news outlet dedicated to efficient coverage of the news and topics shaping the world. She covers healthcare and Congress. Ten years ago, Knight was an intern for ORISE, helping tell the stories of ORISE research program participants. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, hosts Michael Holtz and Matthew Underwood talk to Knight about the evolution of her career. She almost went to medical school but decided her heart wasn't in it and wanted to pursue a career in journalism. Knight talks about working for a news outlet that is changing the way news is shared, including insights about the company owners, and what "Smart Brevity" is all about. Her internships, graduate education, mentors and collaboration are all part of our discussion. Check out our conversation.
Elle Winfield is an ORISE Fellow at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Her research focuses primarily on the development of an ecofriendly essential oils-based larvicide meant to kill mosquitos. Around the world, mosquitos are responsible for transmitting diseases like Zika, malaria and dengue. Eradicating mosquitos in their larval stage prevents them from become adults and thereby capable of spreading disease. During this conversation with ORISE Featurecast hosts Michael Holtz and Matthew Underwood, Winfield takes a deep dive into the importance of her research, other activities she does as part of her fellowship, how she cultivated her interest in science and more.
Cybil "Nikki" Cavalieri is an ORISE Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the USGS Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, working on climate change refugia in Tanzania. With her research, Cavalieri aims to provide agencies and communities in Tanzania with information to be able to help make decisions on how and where to prioritize resources for conservation. Hosts Michael Holtz and Matthew Underwood talk to Cavalieri about the meaning of her research, how she became interested in biogeography, the importance of collaboration when you're working remotely—not only is Cavalieri not working in Tanzania on the regular, she lives deep in the Great Lakes Woods—and how good mentors can change the path of your life. Plus, you'll hear about her travel adventures and her love for all manner of creatures.
For as far back as she an remember, Karen Valdez wanted to be a dentist, and went to dental school in Mexico. Still, she longed for an education in the US and took English as a Second Language classes at El Paso Community College. Valdez's interest in science fueled her desire to continue her education. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, hosts Michael Holtz and Matthew Underwood talk to Valdez about her role as an ORISE Fellow at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she is conducting research into tick-borne illnesses. Throughout the conversation, Valdez talks about how she came to love science, her educational journey, the importance of mentorship and collaboration, and what she hopes comes next in her career trajectory.
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.
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.
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.
Melissa de Vera is an assistant director in the Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction Services for the Indian Health 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. 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.