Community Impact Leaders Program
The ORISE Community Impact Leaders Program (OCIL) is a new initiative that provides selected future STEM leaders in current ORISE-administered programs with an opportunity to develop peer leadership experience and expand their skills in communication, networking, learning, and critical thinking while enhancing relationships among the ORISE Community.
The diverse 2024 cohort were nominated by their ORISE internship, fellowship, or postdoctoral program/agency and selected based on their passion for STEM engagement and collaboration, their interest in STEM and federal research, policy, or technical career opportunities, and their goals of contributing to the impact of the ORISE Community. They are excited about the opportunity to discuss and collaborate with their peers, share resources and information across disciplines and interests, and assist with connections that can enhance your professional network through ORISE Connections, your exclusive virtual community.
Have a question for them or want to start a topic of discussion? You can follow their posts, talk with them about your ORISE experience, ask a question about research or STEM areas of interest, start a conversation about career tips and opportunities, or start a post of your own to discuss and collaborate with peers and mentors now on ORISE Connections.
The ORISE Community of STEM professionals is your community, and the Community Impact Leaders look forward to meeting you!
Meet our ORISE Community Impact Leaders!
Jessie Armstrong
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mercer University
Jessie Armstrong started as an ORISE Postdoc Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, in November 2023. Armstrong is part of the Cell and Bioassay team, within the Toxins and Drugs of Abuse Lab, Emergency Response Branch, Divison of Laboratory Sciences. On the Drugs of Abuse side, Armstrong is developing a manuscript for publication about the recent study analyzing fentanyl test strips as part of a harm reduction/overdose prevention project. On the Toxins side, Armstrong is an active responder for the two CLIA methods that cover microcystins (toxins produced by freshwater cyanobacteria, or "blue-green algae") and brevetoxins (neurotoxins produced by Karenia brevis, or “red tide”) in human samples. Armstrong is part of a unique team/lab that often must adapt to new and emerging threats, which keeps Armstrong on their toes.
Armstrong received their Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a concentration in Neuropharmacology and Drug Discovery for Fragile X Syndrome and Autism from Mercer University in 2023. Armstrong also received a B.S. in Chemistry also from Mercer University in 2014.
Fun Fact: "I am a big soccer fan. I love to play and watch soccer. I am an Atlanta sports fan too. My favorite team is Atlanta United, and I was at the game when they won the 2018 MLS Cup!"
Carys Behnke
U.S. Department of Energy, Georgia State University
Carys Behnke is researching increasing the efficiency and resiliency of commercial buildings through technology validation and market transformation. Behnke's portfolio includes multifamily buildings, K-12 schools, and equity-centered projects. Behnke came to pursue a fellowship with the U.S. Department of Energy after completing a M.S. in Geosciences at Georgia State University, where they focused on the intersections of economic and environmental justice and renewable energy, primarily solar.
Fun Fact: "I’ve picked up biking as a hobby this year and have ridden over 500 miles this summer!"
Erin Cureau
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kennesaw State University
Erin Cureau has been training as an analytical chemist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 2021. Cureau is also currently pursuing a master's degree in chemistry. Passions of Cureau's include animals, Great British Bake Off, and delicious family recipes.
Fun Fact: "I am an amateur gardener of mainly raspberries and culinary herbs. Only one of those plants has been successful, and it is not the raspberries. Also, I am in a personal feud with the birds in my yard that also like raspberries."
Ashley Daniszewski
National Energy Technology Laboratory, West Virginia University
Ashley Daniszewski graduated in 2017 from SUNY Geneseo in New York, with a B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics. Since then, Daniszewski has received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University, where they accumulated six years of hands-on experience in developing microwave enhanced catalytic technologies for natural gas and carbon dioxide conversion to value-added chemicals. Following graduation from West Virginia University, Daniszewski has been an ORISE Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), in Morgantown, West Virginia. In this role, Daniszewski's shift has focused to understanding microwave technology’s fundamental role in catalytic performance and the innovative development of microwave specific catalyst systems.
Fun Fact: "I love all things arts and crafts, I love to paint and draw, and I especially love to make specialized greeting cards for friends and family."
Jhovanna Garcia
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Tennessee – Knoxville
Jhovanna Garcia is a second-year Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with roots in Tijuana, Mexico. She discovered her passion for fusion during the pandemic and hasn’t looked back. Her research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) leverages machine learning and simulation to design resilient materials for fusion energy. She is also engaged in fusion policy and outreach to help drive efforts toward the commercialization of fusion.
Fun Fact: "I was on a competitive dance team in high school and got to perform on a Carnival cruise!"
William Groshek
U.S. Department of Energy, Georgetown University
William Groshek is an ORISE Science, Technology, and Policy Program fellow appointed to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Policy and Office of Energy Jobs. He supports the development and implementation of Community Benefit Plan requirements, which apply to billions of dollars in federal investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, among other good jobs and labor standards policy priorities.
Will is a master's graduate from the inaugural cohort of the McDonough School of Business' Environment and Sustainability Management program at Georgetown University where he also led research with the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy on the use of community benefits agreements in the private sector as potential mechanisms to reduce barriers in permitting and deploying renewable energy projects. He was the 2023 Jan Schori Fellow with the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, where he supported congressional permitting and sitting reform advocacy. Will is an American University alumnus and is originally from Hartford, Connecticut.
Fun Fact: "The NBC sitcom 'Parks and Recreation' is based on my hometown of West Hartford, Connecticut, which the show's co-creator, Michael Schur, is also from."
Jacob Janssen
U.S. Department of Defense, Tulane University
As a research fellow at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD), Jacob Janssen contributes to research on polytrauma related to organophosphates, innovative approaches to trauma care, and the discovery and repurposing of medical countermeasures. Through this appointment, Janssen has gained expertise in various animal research techniques and actively engages in professional development by attending conferences. At USAMRICD, their mission is to enhance preparedness and improve treatment responses to chemical threats, whether on the battlefield or in civilian environments.
Janssen earned a B.S. in Immunology from Penn State University in 2022, where he contributed to research on bioterrorism and COVID-19. After graduating, Janssen joined the Penn State College of Medicine, focusing on cancer research, particularly melanoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This work involved drug discovery and exploring new mechanisms of metastasis. Currently, Janssen is a research fellow at the USAMRICD and is pursuing an MPH in Disaster Management at Tulane University.
Fun Fact: "I have flown on a stunt plane!"
Will Lorenzo
U.S. Department of Defense, Arizona State University
Will Lorenzo is an ORISE participant with the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio. As a research engineer, he focuses on high-speed aircraft stability & control. This research has been continued from his master's thesis at Arizona State University. Will is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) where he will continue to publish his work.
Fun Fact: "I have lived in four different states, including moving across country and for internships & jobs."
Nick Loschin
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, North Carolina State University
Nick Loschin is originally from North Carolina and is a Ph.D. candidate working in the Interdisciplinary Risk Sciences team at North Carolina State University. As an ORISE Research Fellow with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), he has centered his research within social and natural sciences to make science more accessible to diverse groups. More specifically, his team is situated within the Sustainable and Healthy Communities National Research Program, focusing on environmental justice, science translation, and cumulative impacts. He also volunteers with the RTP Speakers Bureau, where he regularly gives presentations on sustainability to a wide variety of audiences and organizations.
Fun Fact: "I’m an avid movie goer with a season pass to the Alamo Draft House and a page with movie reviews."
Abigail Sundberg
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Nova Southeastern University
Abigail Sundberg is a first-generation college graduate, chemist, and pharmacist. She has been an ORISE fellow at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since completing her PharmD in 2023. Her current research project focuses on utilizing natural language processing, data mining and statistical modeling to increase our understanding of timing/early detection of adverse events. This experience has allowed her to learn about postmarket drug safety and labeling.
Fun Fact: "I like to bake and collect nail polish."