Sherry Painter is dedicated to getting students excited about science
From stacking up chemistry degrees to packing a bus full of students and hands-on experiments, Sherry Painter, Ph.D., has always had her hand in the sciences. Paired with her natural teaching tendencies and love of learning, Painter is downright inspiring when it comes to engaging the next generation in STEM.
In fact, Painter brings a passion for outreach and engagement to her role as education project manager in STEM workforce development at the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). Her previous experience as a science community volunteer and chemistry professor/administrator also meshes well with her recruitment and project manager roles at ORISE.
Painter manages several regions of the ORISE U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS) research participant programs. She also leads an ORISE participant experience team that focuses on providing the best-in-class resources for ORISE mentors. Under Painter’s leadership, this team celebrates National Mentoring Month every January by hosting virtual events to engage mentors from all ORISE programs so they can most effectively mentor and inspire ORISE participants.
Inspiring, leading, and getting others excited about science and STEM learning is her calling.
As an undergraduate student at Western Kentucky University, Painter was on a pre-pharmacy track and graduated with a degree in chemistry. After realizing that teaching was her passion, Painter earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in physical organic/biophysical organic chemistry from Vanderbilt University with the aspirations of becoming a college professor.
While serving as a graduate teaching assistant for a laboratory section of organic chemistry at Vanderbilt University, Painter recalls an event that would set her on the trajectory that she would eventually follow. On the last day of class, one of her more mature students shared that she was the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tenn. She had taken the summer course to gain a deeper understanding of microscale techniques in the organic chemistry laboratory for implementation at her college, and along the way, ended up leaving Painter with an offer she ultimately accepted. “She handed me her card and said when I was ready for a job, to let her know,” Painter said. Painter went on to be a faculty member at Volunteer State Community College for five years teaching general and organic chemistry while dabbling in STEM outreach.
Painter then transitioned to a faculty position and eventually multiple administrative roles at LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, where she says her “proudest moment in academia” occurred. In partnership with the City of Memphis, Painter helped transform a Memphis City transit bus into “Science on Wheels” – a mobile laboratory. The mobile lab traveled to fourth and fifth grade classes in underserved areas of the city, The bus was equipped with lab benches and solar panels, which powered the microscopes and equipment used to get the students excited about science.
After nearly 25 years as an educator, Painter decided she needed a change. She searched the keywords “educational outreach” and “science outreach” on job boards and was immediately drawn to an “Educational Project Manager” position available within ORISE. As a fully remote employee located in Atoka, Tenn., Painter appreciates the flexibility and the opportunity to continue educational outreach in her position.
She credits her manager, Rebecca Cavender, in helping her feel connected from far away: “Rebecca is a terrific team builder even in a remote world.” Last holiday season, Painter traveled to meet with some of her coworkers in Nashville—most of whom she met in person for the first time—to visit Opryland hotel and view the Christmas decorations. “I have felt more connected to this group of people than I ever have with colleagues I worked with for decades,” said Painter.
Wherever she finds herself—in a classroom, in a bus-based science lab, recruiting participants at conferences, or on her computer in her home office—Painter is connecting with others, finding that “good chemistry” if you will, around science. Connecting with students and graduates where they are and helping them reach their goals has been her passion. It’s a passion that has been a lifetime in the making and one that will positively impact generations to come.
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.