ORISE celebrates our mentors during National Mentoring Month

January is National Mentoring Month, and we're celebrating the incredible mentors who guide and inspire participants in ORISE-administered internship and fellowship programs!

Check out these notes of appreciation from ORISE participants, highlighting the meaningful impact their mentors have had on their journeys.

• Dan Baxter

  Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

  

  “Dan Baxter has been one of the most encouraging mentors I have had the pleasure of collaborating with. I don't just mean in the sense that he offers good advice or is usually optimistic, though these are also true. Beyond helping me push my research ahead, Dan reminds me to enjoy what we do. He frequently draws my attention to experience I have gained, things I have learned, or how progress in a project has broader applications. He goes out of his way to point out the effect that I have had, how I could improve, or how far I have come. 

  In any given project, there will be lots of challenges. As scientists, we do our best to predict where they will be and prepare accordingly, but inevitably we will be surprised by many. Despite how frustrating these can be, I find it hard to be discouraged when collaborating with Dan because of his innate habit of looking forward. It's a skill that I hope to develop throughout my career.

  So, thank you Dan!”

  — Kyle Kennard, ORISE participant, U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program

• Don Caverly

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  

  “I could not have imagined me being placed with a more fitting mentor. I am a nontraditional student and Don, without knowing it, showed me that despite going back to school and starting a new path, I still had just as much to offer. He wanted me to become enmeshed in the culture here at ORNL so that I could truly envision being employed here one day. Don has vast knowledge that he did everything he could to pass on to me. I never felt like he was unapproachable and he made me feel at home from day one. Don wanted me to experience all that the lab has to offer and made sure I went on every tour as well as orchestrated a few of his own for the interns in my building. I felt that getting a job at the lab one day was something well within my reach due to his support. I put myself out there and took a chance applying, and as a result, I will start full time in January as an operator. I graduated in December, and thanks to Don, I had the courage to apply for my dream job.”

  — Allie Davis, ORISE participant, Education Collaboration at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

• Isaac Gamwo

  Senior Research General Engineer, National Energy Technology Laboratory

  

  “Dr. Isaac K. Gamwo presented me with an excellent overview of the project from Day One. He explained how scientists and engineers in industry and research facilities needed to attain a comprehensive understanding of impure CO2 flowing through long pipelines. Dr. Gamwo taught me that the problems related to the phase behavior of impure high-pressure CO2 had a substantial impact on materials of construction, even if a small amount of a water-rich or acid-rich phase forms inside the pipe. Dr. Gamwo shared that the multitude of CO2 sources each have a characteristic composition, and that the number of impurities is therefore surprisingly high. Dr. Gamwo helped me to appreciate that there was a vast amount of literature related to impure CO2 mixtures and encouraged me to compile a thorough summary of the state-of-the-art. More importantly, Dr. Gamwo challenged me to identify significant gaps in the literature that need to be filled by researchers at NETL and in industry to yield safe, robust CO2 transport.”

  — Professor Robert Enick, ORISE faculty research participant, National Energy Technology Laboratory

• Simon Gore

  Technology Manager, Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, U.S. Department of Energy
  
  

  Erin Whitney

  Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Energy
  
  

  Yana Shinginger

  Technical Project Officer, Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, U.S. Department of Energy
  
  

  Elaine Buck

  Technology Manager Marine Energy, Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, U.S. Department of Energy

  Simon Gore	Elaine Whitney	Yana Shinginger	Elaine Buck

  “I really appreciate Simon walking me through the basics of how the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) works to accomplish its mission within the larger federal government and also setting up all the one-on-one introductions with the many folks in WPTO. I'd like to thank Director Whitney for flying up and greeting me on my first day in the office, connecting me with my neighbors in the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, and generally empowering me to be an Alaskan in the federal government. I appreciate Yana and Elaine for bringing me into new and developing community engagement strategy meetings where I am given space to provide input and feel like I'm contributing to the direction of marine energy development.”

  — Tvetene Carlson, ORISE participant, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Alaska Embedded Fellowship

• Djuna Gulliver

  Researcher, National Energy Technology Laboratory

  

  “Thank you to Dr. Djuna Gulliver for her exceptional mentorship, support, and motivation. Her example inspired me to pursue my Ph.D. in environmental engineering, and serving as my co-advisor, she saw me grow as a researcher. With my time at NETL as an ORISE fellow, I gained experience with difficult microbial samples from energy-related environments. Through this opportunity, I learned a lot about trusting the process. Dr. Gulliver taught me a level of patience and resilience that goes beyond the lab. Thanks to her guidance, I learned world-class techniques to study these organisms, and was able to drastically improve my science communication to a variety of audiences. Having had the opportunity to be involved in the full research cycle—from experimental design in the Geochemistry & Geomicrobiology Laboratory to field sampling, sample processing, analysis, and publication—has fundamentally prepared me for my future.”

  — Preom Sarkar, ORISE participant, National Energy Technology Laboratory

• Ruifeng He

  Research Plant Pathologist, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
  
  

  Qijian Song

  Supervising Research Geneticist, Research Team Leader, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

  Ruifeng He	Qijian Song

  “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my mentors, Dr. Ruifeng He and Dr. Qijian Song, for the significant impact they have had on my career. Their guidance, support and commitment to mentorship have been essential to my growth, both professionally and personally. 

  I have been participating in monthly meetings, mentoring high school students and been involved in research collaborations with other institutions — experiences that have expanded my technical expertise, English proficiency, presentation skills and leadership abilities. 

  My mentors are always available to discuss ideas, generously sharing their knowledge and insights. They consistently provide advice, constructive feedback and encouragement, helping me build confidence, independence and critical thinking skills. Their mentorship has been fundamental to my development as a researcher, and I am truly grateful for their dedication. Their influence will continue to be a great source of inspiration for my future.”

  — Larissa Fernanda Sega Xavier, ORISE participant, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service

• Tonya Jeppesen

  Geospatial Information Officer, Office of Emergency Management, National Nuclear Security Administration

  

  “Tonya was the best mentor I could ask for! She was always available to guide me through challenges and was always understanding of my mistakes. She is the reason I continued doing the internship after the end of the summer term, and why I am continuing my internship into this next semester. She has allowed me to grow skills in many different areas and expand outside of GIS and video editing. I have truly grown my skillset in ways I didn't think I was going to, and I cannot express my gratitude more. I am incredibly grateful for her patience and skill set.”

  — Darynne Jester, ORISE participant, National Nuclear Security Administration’s IMPACT Internship Program

• Egemen Kolemen

  Professor, Princeton University

  

  “Professor Egemen Kolemen has been an influential mentor in my professional career. He has provided a team, opportunities, and resources that enabled growth in artificial intelligence and experiments. I have gained experience conducting research at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and running experiments at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. His mentorship has had transformative effects on my career in graduate school and now as a postdoc in the ORISE program. I have collaborated with international researchers by presenting talks at top-tier AI conferences in Australia and attending schools in our research area in Switzerland. He has strong mentoring skills and knows how to bring out the best in his students and postdocs. I have three first-author papers related to AI in fusion under his guidance. He encourages collaboration and joins meetings when I need his expertise. He is an exceptional mentor, and I am grateful for these opportunities.”

  — Alvin Garcia, ORISE participant, U.S. Department of Energy’s Fusion Energy Sciences Postdoctoral Research Program, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

• Amanda Marcott-Thottunkal

  Deputy Division Director, Community Development, Oklahoma Department of Commerce

  

  “I would like to express my sincere appreciation for my mentor, Ms. Amanda Marcott-Thottunkal, who has had a truly positive impact on my experience. She supported me by clearly explaining Oklahoma’s energy sector and actively involving me in both technical and management discussions. Amanda consistently shared valuable information about how electrical systems in the State of Oklahoma operate, the relationship between the state and the DOE, and the challenges in the electrical infrastructure, including outage patterns and potential improvements. She was extremely helpful, informative, patient, and supportive throughout the project. Despite having many responsibilities, Amanda always responded quickly and took the time to guide me. I am genuinely grateful for her mentorship.”

  — Rahman Ashena, ORISE participant, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Energy Innovator Fellowship

• Randy Ngelale

  R&D Staff - Chemical Engineer, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  

  “Randy Ngelale has been an incredible mentor and teacher throughout my experience at ORNL. With his expertise in chemical engineering and uranium science, he has been instrumental in helping me further my skills and better understand the chemical processes I model. With my background in nuclear engineering, much of the chemistry is outside of my usual academic focus. Still, Randy walked me through every step of the process to ensure I understood it as well as I could. This excellent teaching and mentorship has allowed me to apply my computational skills to build models and interfaces that have an impactful role in the Uranium Science and Technology Center (USTC)'s efforts. Randy is always happy to answer any of my questions, but he also trusts my abilities and ideas, which has made for a welcoming and collaborative environment. I look forward to continuing to learn from and collaborate with Randy on this project!”

  — Lauren Bailey, ORISE participant, Graduate Research Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

• Jeffery Owens

  Air Force Civil Engineer Center

  

  “I want to thank Dr. Owens for creating an environment where I feel trusted and supported. He allows me to move at a pace that fits my learning, and he is always there with thoughtful feedback when I need direction. I can tell he genuinely believes in me, and that trust has given me a strong sense of confidence throughout my learning experience. His steady support has made a meaningful difference, and I’m truly grateful for it.”

  — Adam Puchalski, ORISE participant, Air Force Civil Engineer Center

• Yniv Palti

  Research Geneticist, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
  
  

  Jason Abernathy

  Research Physiologist, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

  Yniv Palti	Jason Abernathy

  “I want to thank Yniv Palti for educating me about the aquaculture world and rainbow trout genomics. His expertise regarding this species was invaluable to the project and I am grateful for his guidance concerning my professional development.

  I appreciate the effort that my current mentor, Jason Abernathy, has put forth to introduce me to the catfish world and functional genomics. I also appreciate his willingness to allow me to learn how to use new technologies and work with various species.”

  — Johnny Konvalina, ORISE participant, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service

• Natalie Pekney

  Environmental Engineer, National Energy Technology Laboratory

  

  “My mentor… has been very supportive and has provided me with the resources that are required for my research planning, fieldwork, and data gathering at different scales of measurements and analysis. My interaction with my mentor has exposed me to the understanding of how to apply scientific and technical knowledge in the field of natural gas emissions, measurements and quantifications in the oil and gas infrastructure. The experience with my mentor has provided me with confidence that my appointment will be a success, thanks to the practical guidance and constructive feedback provided by my mentor.”

  — Ogochukwu Azike, ORISE participant, National Energy Technology Laboratory

• Lindsey Perkin

  Research Molecular Biologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture

  

  “I am honored to be part of the SCINet AI Center of Excellence (SCINet/AI COE) Fellowship, where Dr. Lindsey Perkin has been an outstanding mentor. Whether I have science-related questions or need personal guidance, Dr. Perkin always responds with empathy and insight. She truly puts herself in my shoes. As a U.S. Army Reserve service member, my schedule can shift unexpectedly, but she has supported my commitment to national service wholeheartedly. Her mentorship has profoundly shaped both my professional growth and personal resilience. I’m grateful for her leadership and compassion.”

  — Adama Tukuli, ORISE participant, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service

• Pieterjan Robbe

  Senior Member of Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories

  

  “Dr. Pieterjan Robbe was my collaborating scientist and mentor for the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program. He taught me how to develop algorithms to utilize the generous computing resources at DOE labs, fostered collaborations with other expert scientists, facilitated seamless administration procedures, and always made time to brainstorm ideas or to help push a project forward. I am grateful to Pieterjan for his mentorship and friendship, and I look forward to our continued collaboration on future projects.”

  — Aleksei Sorokin, ORISE participant, U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program

• Monique Stinson

  Freight Estimation, Forecasting, and Analysis Manager, U.S. Department of Transportation

  

  “I would like to express my sincere appreciation for my mentor, Monique Stinson, whose guidance and encouragement have had a meaningful impact on my fellowship experience. From the start of my appointment, Monique approached mentorship as a learning partnership, encouraging critical thinking, independence and exploration of new ideas while providing thoughtful feedback and support. 

  I especially valued her emphasis on learning, understanding the reasoning behind decisions, reflecting on alternative approaches and continually improving through feedback. She fostered an environment where curiosity was welcomed and growth was prioritized, making the experience both challenging and rewarding. 

  I am deeply grateful for Monique’s dedication, generosity with her time and genuine investment in my professional development. Her mentorship has been one of the most impactful aspects of my ORISE experience and will continue to influence how I approach learning and collaboration in the future.” 

  — Praveen Hettige, ORISE participant, U.S. Department of Transportation

• Junqi Yin

  Computational Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  

  “Junqi, a highly professional mentor, provided invaluable assistance during my recent project, offering me both professional and technical suggestions. Junqi also took me on a tour of the office building, where I had the pleasure of visiting the Frontier HPC facility, and introduced me to the various departments.”

  — Shouwei Gao, ORISE participant, Graduate Research Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory