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ORAU hires and manages contractors on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the National Student Services Contract. Contractors work in the EPA's Office of Research and Development for up to five years and then often become full-time regular employees of the agency. Further Together host Michael Holtz talks to Karen Cleveland and Geri Philpott, who manage the EPA NSSC for ORAU. They talk about the importance of this program to the EPA, the types of work participants are engaged in for the agency, and how they and their team have mastered the art of the recruiting to fill open positions. To learn more about the EPA NSSC or to apply for open opportunities, visit https://www.orau.org/epa/

Ken Tobin, ORAU chief research and university partnerships officer, introduces host Michael Holtz to Dr. Laurene Tetard, associate professor in the NanoScience Technology Center at the University of Central Florida. Together they talk about the importance of university partnerships to ORAU and how we work together to provide solutions to our federal government partners. Dr. Tetard digs into her research and talks about the importance of networking for her research as well as for her students. This episode drops the day after ORAU's 2023 Annual Meeting and provides a great exclamation point to the value proposition offered by RUPO.

ORAU is among the sponsors of a Research Community Forum presented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Human Protection. The two-day event will be held March 29 and 30, 2023, in Knoxville. In this episode, Ken Tobin, ORAU chief research and university partnerships officer, and Cathy Fore, senior director of university partnerships, talk about the RCF, why this event is important to the research community, the importance of human protection regulations for research, who should attend this event, and what to expect. Also sponsoring the meeting are East Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. To learn more about the Research Community Forum and to register, visit https://www.orau.org/event/research-forum/index.html

ORAU's Annual Meeting of the Council of Sponsoring Institutions is held to explore relevant topics in higher education. This year's topic is “Climate Security and Environmental Justice: Pathways to Achieving the 2050 Carbon Net-Zero Goal.” Experts and leaders from academia, federal agencies, and national organizations will share their views on technology innovation and transformation; science-based models for an environmentally equitable society; and future workforce development needs. Further Together host Michael Holtz, along with Ken Tobin, ORAU chief research and university partnerships officer, and Cathy Fore, senior director of university partnerships, preview some of the speakers, panel discussions and other aspects of this year's all-important gathering. Learn more about ORAU's annual meeting here: https://orau.org/university-partnerships/annual-meeting.html

Samson Johnson, Ph.D., is a new NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow who has been in his role for just a few months, is studying exoplanet demographics or how many and where exoplanets are. An exoplanet is an extrasolar planet and there are approximately 5,000 known in the universe. During this conversation, host Michael Holtz and Dr. Johnson discuss his work, how his interest in astronomy was stoked, how a high school teacher changed the course of his life, the importance of mentorship and so much more. To learn more about NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowships including when the next round of applicants can apply, visit the NASA NPP Gateway at https://npp.orau.org/.

Tiffany Lewis, Ph.D., is a NASA Post-Doctoral Program Fellow working at the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory on theoretical modeling of jets ion active galaxies, especially blazars. She has been a NASA NPP Fellow for two years. In this episode of Further Together: the ORAU Podcast, host Michael Holtz talks to Lewis about her work, being mentored and mentoring others, and what she has planned for the future. As you'll discover, Lewis was initially interested in science policy before turning her attention to physics and the work she is doing today. To learn more about the NASA Post-Doctoral Program, as well as how and when to apply for upcoming opportunities, visit https://npp.orau.org/

As a company, ORAU supports financially a number of non-profit organizations in the communities where we do business. As CEO Andy Page says, it's the role of a good corporate citizen. Additionally, many of our employees give of their time, talent and treasure to support organizations that are important to them. For this year's Thanksgiving episode, host Michael Holtz asked several colleagues to share how and why they support the organizations they do. The organizations, the skills and the reasons are as personal and individual as each of the people interviewed. Giving back is important to each of these folks, and many, many others. It's the right thing to do, and we think talking about giving back is a great way to celebrate a holiday focused on giving thanks.

For Stacey Whaley, winning ORAU's Extreme Classroom Makeover 2022 was one of the biggest surprises of her life. She knew she could put the $25,000 prize to good use in her classroom, and boy did she ever. During this conversation, Whaley talks to host Michael Holtz about the new technology she purchased for her classroom, from digital microscopes and iPads to virtual reality headsets and a floor projector. Applications for the 2023 edition of Extreme Classroom Makeover are now open, and Whaley urges teachers within a 50-mile radius of Oak Ridge to apply. You never know what could happen! Learn more here: https://orau.org/news/releases/2022/extreme-classroom-makeover-2023-applications-now-open.html

A cornhole competition between ORAU employees and executives, which executives lost, was the high point of the Diversity Council's 30th birthday celebration, which took place on ORAU's Main Campus and virtually in October 2022. The gathering was the first major in-person event since the beginning the pandemic, and celebrated ORAU's commitment to diversity. In this special "man on the street" style episode, host Michael Holtz talks to members of the diversity council against the backdrop of a very fun and important day for ORAU. To learn more about ORAU's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, visit https://www.orau.org/about/principles/diversity.html

Alexander Betaller, assistant professor of nuclear engineering at North Carolina State University, was a 2020 recipient of an ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award. With his award, which was matched by his institution, Betaller built a custom optical furnace as part of his team's research into molten salt reactors. The blueprints for the furnace were from the 70s, and molten salt reactor research is seeing a bit of a renaissance. Learn more about his research and why it's important during this conversation with host Michael Holtz. If you're junior faculty at an ORAU University Consortium institution, consider applying for a Powe Award. Application submissions close on January 9, 2023. Apply here: https://www.orau.org/university-partnerships/member-grant-programs/powe/index.html

It's annual giving time at ORAU, and for the third year in a row Michael Holtz sat down with Naomi Asher, executive director of the United Way of Anderson County (and surrounding, let's be real), to talk about how UWAC and its partner agencies meet some of the basic needs of individuals living right here in our communities. Joining this year's conversation are Janet Wood, vice president of community engagement at Emory Valley Center, and Kayla Simon, executive director of ASAP of Anderson County. These organizations and many others who receive United Way funding are doing great work and make donated dollars stretch as far as humanly possible. Give a listen to learn more, and then give: ORAU employees, support the Annual Giving Campaign. https://web2012.orau.net/ORAUGiving/Home/ Learn more about United Way of Anderson County https://uwayac.org/, Emory Valley Center https://www.emoryvalleycenter.org/ and ASAP of Anderson County https://www.asapofanderson.org/,

Susan Ehrlich, a former assistant U.S. Attorney and a former judge in Arizona, recently wrote a memorandum for the Central Department of Energy Institutional Review Board discussing explicit and implicit biases in human subjects research. Bias is a critically important issue in research, ensuring that biases are addressed and don't exclude participation in human subjects research. In this conversation, Ehrlich shares how she came to be the first author of the memorandum, why it's important and what happens next.

ORAU has a thriving and growing research enterprise. Returning guest Ken Tobin, ORAU's Chief Research Officer, joins host Michael Holtz for a conversation about some new developments in the research arena, including the creation of a research scientist job family. Ultimately, research is good for the company from a performance and employee engagement perspective. The conversation is brief but very impactful.

Dr. Hilary Marston, an internal medicine physician by training, has long had an interest in public health and global health policy. In 2013, she began work at the National Institutes of Health as an ORISE research program participant as at the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where she was mentored by Dr. Anthony Fauci and worked on several outbreaks including Ebola, Zika and COVID-19. She also worked for the National Security Council and the White House COVID Response Team before being named Chief Medical Officer at the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year. In this conversation, Marston tells host Michael Holtz how her ORISE experience played a key role in the trajectory of her career, discusses her mentors, how she enjoys mentoring future scientists and so much more. Join us for a great conversation.

We wrap our celebration of National Postdoc Week with an enlightening and inspiring interview with Christina Wildfire, a two-time ORISE research program participant at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Wildfire's research has focused on using microwave energy to revitalize the coal industry. Currently, as an employee at NETL, she works with scientists and industry to reduce carbon emissions. In this conversation with host Michael Holtz, Wildfire discusses her journey into science (she didn't start out with a plan to study engineering) and the trajectory of her impactful career. Learn more about Dr. Wildfire and NETL here: https://orise.orau.gov/netl/experiences/wildfire.html

As part of our annual observance of National Postdoc Week, this episode of the ORISE Featurecast focuses on Julie Spencer, Ph.D., an Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program researcher, who uses mathematics to track and, in collaboration with other scientists, research how to end human suffering from communicable diseases. In this episode, Julie talks to host Michael Holtz about her ongoing work, how she developed an interest in science and math, the importance of collaboration for success in today's research environment, and the value of mentorship, both as a mentor and mentee in the development of her career. Join us for an interesting and, dare we say, fun conversation. Learn more about the ORISE IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship here: https://orise.orau.gov/icpostdoc/applicants/index.html

We all deliver and consume information through the lens of our own biases. Individuals can get the same information and have the same resources, but come to wildly different conclusions. Nick Byrd, a researcher in the ORISE Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, uses his background studying philosophy and applied engineering to help people understand their cognitive biases and engage in reflective thinking to de-bias decision-making processes. The intent isn't to change minds or opinions, but to engage us in critical thinking. Learn more about Nick's work during this conversation with host Michael Holtz. You can learn more about the ORISE IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship here: About ORISE | IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program (orau.gov)

ORAU's work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (NOAA ATDD) is one of the hidden gems of our company. It's not work we talk about often, but it is exciting and compelling Our team's work focuses on climate research, atmospheric chemistry and dispersion, and boundary layer characterization. The Climate Reference Network, in particular, is a series of 114 stations around the country that collect data to monitor climate. Some of the stations are located in harsh weather conditions, in locations like Alaska. Kathy Rollow and Mark Hall discuss the importance of the Climate Reference Network, how they keep the sensors on the monitoring stations operating in harsh conditions, that the importance the work of the team working for NOAA ATDD. Join host Michael Holtz for this fascinating conversation. Learn more about our air quality, weather and climate research here: Air Quality, Weather & Climate Research | ORAU

For Jonathan Levine, reading the 2002 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report made it clear that global warming and its effects on those of lower-income households were clearly and swiftly becoming a reality. After the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Levine became a participant of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Postgraduate Research Program, studying deep sea gas and oil rising through the ocean. Levine left academia and started his own company called Folia Materials to address environmental issues. Jonathan talks to host Michael Holtz about his NETL experience, how ORISE helped build his career, and the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork. You can also read more about Jonathan's experience at NETL here: https://orise.orau.gov/netl/experiences/levine.html ORISE is managed by ORAU for the U.S. Department of Energy

Scientists and weather watchers have been tracking weather and animal migration data for decades, mostly because they thought the data was interesting. Today, Jeff Kelly, University of Oklahoma biology professor and ORAU consultant, and other scientists use the convergence of archived weather and animal migration data with current technology to track changes caused by climate change over time. "Now we can look at decades of bird migration data, bat emergency data, and start to look at patterns related to climate change and weather changes and how they've impacted animals in ways that nobody really thought about when they started archiving those data." Join host Michael Holtz for a conversation about Kelly's research. You can also read more about Kelly's work here: https://orau.org/impact/people/jeff-kelly-uses-weather-data-for-biological-research.html