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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Akhil Anilkumar Vinithakumari
USDA ARS Research Participation ProgramAkhil Anilkumar Vinithakumari, Ph.D., helped train artificial intelligence to detect Ebola and Marburg and compared it to traditional detection methods. He won an award from the American College of Veterinary Pathologists for presenting the research.
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Maggie Mangas
HHS Research Participation ProgramMaggie Mangas, driven by her passion for science and math, pursued a STEM career focused on maternal health and healthcare systems. After earning her Master of Public Health, she joined the ORISE fellowship at HRSA, contributing to the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program.
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Sheetal Jha
USDA ARS Research Participation ProgramSheetal Jha’s passion for food safety led her to an ORISE fellowship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), where she studied meat-contaminated surfaces.
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Sk Nafiz Rahaman
Graduate Research Program (GRO) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)Sk Nafiz Rahaman, a doctoral student at Mississippi State University, is passionate about resilience and using technology to tackle environmental challenges. As an ORISE Graduate Research Program participant at ORNL, he focuses on grid vulnerability, energy affordability, and tools for visualizing electric grid risks.
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Hampton Kennedy
USDA Forest Service Research Participation ProgramDiscover how Hampton Kennedy, a historian and ORISE Forest Service Research Participation Program fellow, used interdisciplinary research to uncover the origins of signal crayfish in Montana. Through historical analysis and collaboration with ecologists, Kennedy provided critical insights into species management and conservation. His work highlights the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in science and education.
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Isis Arantes
USDA Forest Service Research Participation ProgramÍsis Arantes’s passion for genetics played a part in researching the mysteries of signal crayfish origins in Montana.
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Beth Ellinport
ORISE Research Participation Program at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)Beth Ellinport, an ORISE fellow at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Laboratory, focuses on building resilience in systems and individuals to better adapt to disruptions. She aims to embed resilience into daily operations and continue her career in federal research and public service, emphasizing the value of ORISE in fostering impactful research and career growth.
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Kalidas Mainali
USDA ARS Research Participation ProgramKalidas Mainali, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) fellow, is exploring different uses for biofuels.
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Jacob “Jake” Janssen
ORISE Research Participation Program at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)Jake Janssen, an ORISE fellow at USAMRICD, researches chemical exposure, trauma, and medical innovations to enhance health and resilience. With a background in immunology and disaster management, he contributes to lifesaving projects and aims to advance disaster resilience in vulnerable communities.
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Susan “Susie” B. Adams
USDA Forest Service Research Participation ProgramDiscover the inspiring journey of Susan “Susie” B. Adams, a U.S. Forest Service mentor and leader in aquatic conservation and ecology. From childhood crayfish adventures to groundbreaking research, Adams combines STEM expertise with mentorship to shape future careers in fisheries and ecology through the ORISE program.
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Aditya Gupta
USDA ARS Research Participation ProgramAditya Gupta, Ph.D., is conducting research to help identify foodborne pathogens and their potential risk to food safety through an ORISE fellowship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.
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Scott Ziegler
NM LEEPScott Ziegler, engineer and entrepreneur, co-founded Space Kinetic to develop new space technology solutions for national security. The New Mexico Lab Embedded Entrepreneur Program helped give his startup a push forward.
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Vivian Egan
AFRL Research Participation ProgramDiscover Vivian Egan's inspiring journey from a fascination with STEM to groundbreaking research in human performance. Learn how her academic achievements and participation in the AFRL Research Participation Program through ORISE shaped her career in industrial and human factors engineering.
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Erik Head
ORNL Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)As a participant in the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Erik Head conducted research on denitrification methods of refining crude biofuels.
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Giovana Ciacci Zanella
USDA ARS Research Participation ProgramGiovana Ciacci Zanella is studying pathogens that infect production animals and humans through an ORISE fellowship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.
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Connel Ching’anda
USDA ARS Research Participation ProgramThe research project of Connel Ching’anda, Ph.D, is focused on comparing the performance of different commercial biocontrol products that mitigate aflatoxin contamination of Texas corn. A native of the Republic of Malawi, a country in Southeastern Africa, Ching’anda saw firsthand the struggle of farmers to produce crops.
The rewards of mentorship: A conversation with Scott Crawford, Ph.D., at NETL
Keri Cagle, Ed.D., ORISE director, joins Michael Holtz as special co-host for the ORISE Featurecast. In this episode, they talk to Scott Crawford, Ph.D., a research physical scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Lab in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who has served as an ORISE mentor and was once an ORISE research program participant. In this conversation we discuss Crawford’s career trajectory, the importance of mentorship, and how ORISE has been a key partner in the success of NETL and other research participation programs.
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.