Bryan Maner: Spreading the word about ORISE

Bryan Maner has been part of the ORISE STEM Workforce Development team since 2018. As an associate manager, he oversees a variety of internship and fellowship programs administered by ORISE for the U.S. Department of Defense, including those affiliated with the Army, Air Force and Navy. Additionally, Bryan plays a lead role in planning outreach and recruitment efforts to promote ORISE-administered programs. He received a bachelor’s degree in business management and psychology from Tennessee Technological University and a master’s degree in business administration from Lincoln Memorial University. He’s now working toward a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Lincoln Memorial with a concentration in management.

Get to know Bryan in our latest ORISE Staff Spotlight:

Q: What’s your favorite part of working at ORAU/ORISE?
A: My favorite part is the people who work here. I have been lucky enough to work across different groups within ORISE supporting many different federal agencies. My experience has been the same with each program in that our dedicated, professional and passionate staff want to create and provide an incredible experience to the participants and programs we support. Whether it is creating professional development or networking activities for participants, meeting regularly with sponsoring agencies on ways to improve the programs or brainstorming internal process improvements, our team is always looking for ways to improve the program and provide a great experience for participants and sponsoring agencies. Our ORISE team is easily one of the most dedicated groups of professionals I have ever had the privilege of working with.

Q: As an ORISE thought leader, how do you give back to the STEM community?
A: I have worked directly with participants across ORISE programs for several years now, and it is incredible to see the research and projects they are involved with. Even more incredible is to see how the ORISE program can help get their foot in the door in their field by partnering them with mentors and subject matter experts. Hearing the success stories and feedback from participants encourages me to work as hard as possible to spread the word about ORISE and the benefits of participating in STEM programs. I believe the ORISE experience is invaluable and enjoy being a small part in a participant’s journey.

Q: What advice would you give to those who are considering an internship/fellowship opportunity?
A: A conversation I have had regularly with participants in ORISE programs is how they went into an internship/fellowship feeling like they knew what career path they wanted to pursue, and how the ORISE experience and collaboration helped guide them there or had provided an alternate plan. I believe an internship/fellowship opportunity can expose areas of interest participants may not have known they had in their own field, or possibly another field they may have been exposed to during an internship/fellowship. My advice would be to take advantage of the networking and experiences you can gain from an internship/fellowship to expand the knowledge you have in your own field, as well as knowledge and experience from collaborating with others.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: When I’m not running my kids from one sport or activity to another, or completing schoolwork, I’m attempting to restore and maintain a 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle, which has been in my family since near new. I’m not particularly auto-mechanically inclined, but teaching myself how to keep it on the road has filled up any free time I have lately. Plus, my kids think it is fun to help tinker with improvements.

Q: What’s one fun fact about you?
A: I enjoy sharing a good dad joke, even if my kids tell me I’m not that funny. “Why did the scarecrow become a motivational speaker? Because he was ‘out standing’ in his field!”