What's it like Being an ORISE STEM Researcher?
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education administers science education programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy and other federal agencies. The diversity of these programs enables individuals—whether undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral or faculty—to conduct collaborative research with national laboratories and partners of federal agencies.
From robotics research to improving the national wastewater infrastructure, ORISE researchers apply their talents and interests to advance research of national interest. Through ORISE internships, fellowships, and research appointments, participants get one step closer to reaching their STEM career goals.
Below are just a few of our interns, fellows, and former researchers, and these are their stories.
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Amalia Parra
IC PostdocAs a participant in the Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Program, Amalia Parra investigates gene networks in Drosophila melanogaster to enhance U.S. national security through improved threat detection and mitigation.
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Molly Simonis
IC PostdocAs a current participant in the Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Fellowship, Molly Simonis researches the mechanisms of pathogen spillover from bats to humans, focusing on the influences of phylogenetic relatedness and social contact patterns on disease transmission.
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Zachery Enderson
IC PostdocAs a participant in the Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Fellowship, Zachery Allen Enderson researches the development of infrared detectors using artificial moiré quantum materials to advance quantum information systems and other technological applications.
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Ethan Clements
IC PostdocAs a recent participant in the Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program, Ethan Robert Clements focused on integrating photonics into trapped ion systems to enhance scalability and functionality for quantum information processing.
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Brett Shelley
USDA ARS Research Participation ProgramBrett Shelley, Ph.D., gained his interest in the sciences at an early age, but credits part of his success to the great mentors he has had along the way.
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Syeda Zahra Ali
CDC Research Participation ProgramAs a participant in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Mathematical Statistician Fellowship, Syeda Zahra Ali uses biostatistics to enhance public health interventions and policies, focusing on improving outcomes through rigorous data analysis and research.
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Sade Davenport
IC PostdocSade Davenport, Ph.D., is using her research to inform better understanding of aquatic ecosystems and promote objectives for water quality and safety.
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Greg Tierney
EPA Research Participation ProgramAs an ORISE fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Greg Tierney, Ph.D., uses intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves to evaluate the risks of extreme temperature events.
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Candace Rutt
CDC Research Participation ProgramDr. Rutt started her career at the CDC as an ORISE fellow in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.
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Kyle Brumfield
IC PostdocKyle Brumfield in the laboratory at the Maryland Pathogen Research Institute and Department of Cellular Biology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Maryland.
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Cynney Walters
CDC Research Participation ProgramCynney Walters is a current participant with the PulseNet Reference, Outbreak and Surveillance Team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Walters is a bioinformatician using genomic data to aid with outbreak investigations.
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Naveed Sekender
NNSA Minority Serving Institutions Internship ProgramNational Nuclear Security Administration Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program (NNSA-MSIIP) participant Naveed Sekender is taking popular machine learning language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and improving their programming capabilities.
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Victoria Li
CDC Research Participation ProgramVictoria Li had many inspirations for her career path, one being her personal experience with Hurricane Katrina. As she got older, conducted research with the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) and participated in Tulane’s AmeriCorps*VISTA program, creating a love for helping underprivileged communities.
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Jenesis Cochrane
ORNLJenesis Cochrane is looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of materials manufacturing as a GEM participant.
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Elyse Chase
IC PostdocElyse Chase, Ph.D, is an Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Fellow (IC Postdoc) with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). She is part of the Mechatronics and Haptic Interfaces Lab (MAHI) at Rice University looking further into haptics and the noncongruent information of multisensory integration.
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Cara Kientz
DHS Transportation Security Laboratory Visiting Scientist ProgramDuring her time at the TSL, Kientz worked with mentor Dr. Johnny Perez and the trace team within the applied research division chemistry branch. Her research was focused on finding new detection methods for trace amounts of explosives.
MentorIMPACT
ORISE recognizes the crucial role that mentors play in the personal and professional development of the next generation of STEM. These videos feature a few of our mentors across the federal departments and agencies that offer internships and fellowships through ORISE who were gracious enough to talk about their experiences and expertise. The stories they tell offer a glimpse of the inspiration they instill, their commitment to life-long learning, and their passion for “shaping the future of science.”
ORISE Featurecast spotlights all things ORISE
The ORISE Featurecast is a podcast about all things ORISE. Hear from ORISE research program participants and their mentors about their experiences and how they are helping shape the future of science.