エピソード

  • Science isn't science until you share what you've found: A conversation about the value of scientific peer review
    2025/10/08
    Peer review evaluation of an individual or groups work by another individual or group with expertise in the same field or a related field. Peer reviewed work may include proposals to conduct scientific research, ongoing research itself, or a submitted papers based on ongoing or completed research. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, host Michael Holtz talks to Colleen Iversen, Ph.D., a former ORISE research participation program participant who now serves as a peer reviewer for ORISE. Their conversation covers the importance of the peer review process to the advancement of science, the newly developed ORISE Peer Review Resource Hub, the need for young investigators to become peer reviewers, and how peer review makes you a better scientist and proposal writer. Access the Peer Review Resource Hub here: https://orise.orau.gov/peer-review/resource-hub/index.html Dr. Colleen Iversen is an ecosystem ecologist who uses a variety of field and laboratory techniques to understand and predict how ecosystems – from upland forests to flooded peatlands to thawing Arctic tundra – are shaped by their environment. Colleen is a Distinguished Staff Scientist in the Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Group Leader of the Plant-Soil Interactions group, and Director of the NGEE Arctic project. She is an Editor at the international plant journal New Phytologist, and she was an elected Early Career Fellow of the Ecological Society of America and a member of the inaugural cohort of ‘New Voices’ at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Colleen sees science communication as the foundation for a shared understanding of society’s future, and she has shared her scientific vision on Public Radio International’s ‘Science Friday’, and in the Alda School’s ‘Flame Challenge’, as well as in organized symposia, sessions, and workshops. For more information on Colleen, visit www.colleeniversen.com.
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    32 分
  • Secure and Effective Use of Generative AI: A conversation with Janine Pino, ORNL data librarian
    2025/09/24
    Janine Pino, data librarian for Oak Ridge National Laboratory Research Library and Information Services, discussed “AI Literacy: Secure and Effective Use of Generative AI” as part of the ORISE Symposium on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, Pino takes a deeper dive into the topic of generative AI, including how to craft strong prompts, critically evaluate AI-generated output, and navigate the opportunities and pitfalls of using these tools in scholarly research and writing. As a member of the Research Library team, Pino specializes in bibliometric tools, data analysis, and technical training. She joined the lab in 2022 after serving as an academic librarian, online learning liaison, and graduate program instructor. Pino completed her master's degree in information sciences at the University of Tennessee. She welcomes questions and collaborative efforts to improve lab-wide preservation and sharing of scientific and technical information.
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    29 分
  • 'Once I saw how science can help solve a crime, I was hooked:' A conversation with Valisha Edwards, FBI Visiting Scientist Program
    2025/09/10
    Valisha Edwards is an ORISE Fellow in the FBI Visiting Scientist Program. At the time of this conversation, Edwards was in the Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit where she managed multiple projects ranging from primary explosives to toxicology, overseeing analytical techniques and instrumentation that pertains to these projects. "I typically map out the research in general in its entirety, and then I just do the testing that's required for each project," she said. Edwards has previous experience as a forensic chemist and a police laboratory criminalist. Still, like many of us, she struggles with imposter syndrome. Learn more about Edwards and her research during this thoughtful and engaging conversation. Learn more about the FBI Visiting Scientist Program here: https://orise.orau.gov/fbi/profiles/index.html
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    26 分
  • ORISE is the backbone of respect between students and researchers: A conversation with Jake Janssen
    2025/08/13
    Jake Janssen is an ORISE Research Program Participant appointed to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense. His research focuses on neuroscience, and hazardous chemicals in trauma medicine. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, he says "We look at novel polytrauma scenarios involving organophosphates and other pharmaceutical grade drugs, and traumatic brain injuries or TBIs. We want to improve upon treatment guidelines and combat casualty care through new polypharmacy methods, and also identify and study chemicals of concern so that the United States is more prepared for an impending chemical threat from any adversary we may see." In Janssen's conversation with host Michael Holtz, he talks about the underlying importance of his research, his career trajectory and some of the obstacles he has overcome in his life and career. To learn more about ORISE research participation program opportunities at the U.S. Department of Defense, visit https://orise.orau.gov/dodprograms/index.html
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    29 分
  • Coding and data analysis are cool: A conversation with Vivian Egan, former ORISE research program participant
    2025/07/31
    Vivian Egan is a self-described nerd who did math for fun as a kid. As a former ORISE research program participant at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Egan is doing time series studies on human behavior, two concepts that don't ordinarily intersect. Time series studies usually focus on financial or environmental data, so focusing on human behavior is novel. She's studying how people multitask and their reaction time to certain stimuli (think loud noises or other interruptions). In a recent conversation with the ORISE Featurecast, Egan talked in-depth about her research, the trajectory of her career, obstacles she's faced and successes she's realized along the way. To learn more about ORISE research opportunities at AFRL and other U.S. Department of Defense programs, visit https://orise.orau.gov/dodprograms/index.html
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    33 分
  • What happens in the lab doesn't just stay in the lab: A conversation with Jinfan Chen, Ph.D.
    2025/07/22
    Jingfan Chen, Ph.D., says she understood that her research had impact outside the laboratory setting when she was studying the solubility of cancer drugs. Lack of solubility -- put simply, whether a drug molecule can dissolve in liquid -- keeps potential cancer drugs from reaching the market. Her study of ways to make these drugs more soluble opened her eyes to the importance of her research outside the lab. Chen took first place in the 2024 ORISE Postdoc Poster Session Showcase for her research on the quality and safety of compounded off-brand semaglutide-based medications. As the demand for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy has grown, there have been occasional shortages of the name-brand medications. Off-brand compounded medications are more affordable than their name brand counterparts, but can often contain ingredients that are non FDA approved. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast Chen talks about her work on the poster that took the award, other research she has done, her career trajectory and so much more.
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    21 分
  • Understanding is a journey of education: An Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship conversation
    2025/06/30
    ORISE Featurecast host Michael Holtz is the first to admit he isn't a fan of math. What he knows now is that he wasn't encouraged or given the ability to grow into his understanding of mathematics. In this episode, he and Zachary Minchow-Proffitt, a 2025 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, have a conversation about Social Emotional Learning with Ralph Pantozzi, also a current AEF Fellow, and Dr. Sharon Sikora, an AEF Alumnus. Social Emotional Learning helps educators understand how to encourage their students by meeting them where ever they may be emotionally when they come into the classroom, taking comparison bias out of the process, and helping students understand that they don't have to grasp a difficult concept immediately; it takes time. This was a meaningful and wide-ranging conversation. Dr. Sharon Sikora is currently a preK - high school science curriculum specialist and high school chemistry educator for Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton, California. In 2016, Sharon left her classroom of 10 years at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii to focus her attention on national education advocacy and policy as a 2016 - 2017 Einstein Distinguished Educator Congressional fellow serving in the US Senate at the Office of Senator Schatz (HI). Sharon has a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology from Pomona College and a Master of Science and Doctorate of Science in Chemistry from the University of Denver. She completed a post-doctorate study in science education as a Senior Fellow at the NSF funded Center for Learning and Teaching in the West (CLTW) after which she served as Denver Public Schools district science coordinator. Sharon has collaborated on and presented sessions with NSELA, NSTA, and ASCD. Sharon’s leadership activities have spanned the international, national, state, district, school and classroom levels. With over 25 years as a science educator and as a published author, most recently with ASCD Education Leadership ‘What Students Have to Say About Student Engagement’, Sharon is committed to improving education for all. Ralph Pantozzi has supervised K-12 instruction and taught mathematics in New Jersey public and private schools for 32 years. He has taught 6th grade math through Calculus BC and Mathematical Research. Most recently Ralph served as teacher and department chair at the K-12 all-girls Kent Place School in Summit, New Jersey. There he developed curriculum, instruction, and assessments coupled with physical and virtual learning resources to support girls’ engagement and long-term success with mathematics. As part of his work, he designed and maintained a learning space called the “Math Studio”. In a room full of books, games, puzzles, art and math, students socialize, communicate, and create mathematical ideas through exploration, play, and research. Zachary Minchow-Proffitt has taught all levels of science courses over the last eleven years. Most recently, Zachary was a Lead Teacher of Integrated Science and Independent Science Research (Biomedical Engineering, Bioinformatics, Data Science/AI) at the Academies of Loudoun, in Leesburg, Virginia, which is a public magnet school for advanced STEM and CTE courses of study. He was also a Beginning Teacher Coach for the school district, responsible for mentoring new secondary science teachers in their first years of teaching. Prior to teaching in Loudoun County, Zachary taught IB/AP Biology at Annandale High School, as well as at AC Flora High School in Columbia, South Carolina, where he taught all levels of science and worked with students from around the world through the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Act gives the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) the responsibility for managing the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship. The DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) manages this program for DOE in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and the partnering Federal agencies, which, at the time of this recording, included the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Library of Congress (LOC), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The DOE sponsors five placements in congressional offices. To learn more about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.
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    1 時間 3 分
  • An engineer doing a physics job: Rebecca Masline, Ph.D. talks about nuclear fusion
    2025/06/19
    Rebecca Masline, Ph.D., is a researcher at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She completed her Ph.D. at University of California San Diego in 2023. She took third place in the ORISE Postdoc Poster Session Showcase in 2024 for her poster on helium ash in the exhaust streams created by nuclear fusion. In this conversation, Masline explains that when atoms combine to make fusion happen, we get energy, which we like, but we also get one ash of helium as a byproduct. Masline’s research focuses on characterizing and understanding the behavior of helium in the exhaust stream of these nuclear fusion devices and investigate whether we can use that to characterize efficiency of a fusion power plant as a whole. She also talks about her mentors and what drives her as a scientist. To learn more about Masline and her research, visit https://orise.orau.gov/people/success-stories/2025/rebecca-masline.html
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    21 分