Further Together the ORAU Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Meet Daniel Watters: NASA NPP Fellow and global storm chaser Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

Daniel Watters, a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is a global storm chaser. Fortunately, he can chase storms from the comfort of being behind a computer screen. Watters studies global precipitation using satellites, specifically focused on comparing data between satellites and RADAR systems. Daniel, who is from England, talks to host Michael Holtz about cultural adjustments to life in Huntsville, how he cultivated his interest in science, applying to the NASA NPP, and so much more. Listen to learn more about Watters's mission. To learn more about the NASA NPP, visit https://npp.orau.org/index.html

Getting a foot in the door: A conversation about the NASA Postdoctoral Program with Conner Ballew Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Conner Ballew is a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His research area is in Meta Optics, which develops new technologies to aid future agency missions. The end goal of his research is to miniaturize optical elements, which reduces size and power requirements for space applications. Ballew is a native of Everett, Washington, discusses how he became interested in science, how his career and scientific interests have developed and what comes next for his career. To learn more about the NASA Postdoctoral Program, visit https://npp.orau.org/index.html

ORAU's annual giving campaign: helping the community in big and small ways Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

ORAU's annual giving campaign is underway. Host Michael Holtz's yearly conversation with Naomi Asher, executive director of United Way of Anderson County, which serves Anderson, Campbell, Morgan and Scott Counties. Naomi invited two partner organizations, Katie Burnette from the YWCA of Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley. and David Allred from Oak Ridge Periodic Tables, to discuss the ways they serve the community together. We discuss how UWAC and its partner agencies fill in the gaps in big and small ways. The YWCA helps women escape domestic violence by providing advocacy in the legal system and housing for women and their families. Periodic Tables bring community members together to strengthen bonds around a specific topic and take steps to solve problems. Support from companies like ORAU goes a long way toward helping people in the communities where we do business. To learn more about UWAC, visit https://uwayac.org/

Episode 130: ORAU supports the Thompson Race Against Cancer Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

We continue our focus on some of the community organizations and events ORAU supports with this conversation about the Thompson Cancer Survival Center Race Against Cancer. The Race, now in its 29th year, races funds for the patients and their families treated at Thompson Cancer Survivor Center. Since it's inception, the race has raised more than $7.4 million for cancer education and support in East Tennessee. Host Michael Holtz, who was treated at Thompson and served as race chair twice, talks to Gina Williams, director of development in the Covenant Health Office of Philanthropy, about all things Race Against Cancer. From logistics to celebrating cancer survivors and more, they cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. The race is Sunday, November 5. Join Team ORAU by registering for the race here: https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/Knoxville/RaceAgainstCancer

Episode 129: Going the distance with the Secret City Half Marathon Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

As a company, ORAU loves to support the communities in which we do business. We regularly support community events like the Secret City Half Marathon and 5K, an annual event in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, In this episode, host Michael Holtz talks to Bryan Campbell, a colleague and fellow cancer survivor, who is passionate about events like the Secret City Half and others. We talk about the race, Bryan's love for running, his cancer journey and so much more. To register for the Secret City Half Marathon, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/OakRidge/secretcityhalfmarathon

Episode 128: The feeling of belonging to a community; what Claudia Alvarez Carreno cherishes about being a scientist Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Claudia Alvarez Carreno is a third-year NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow who is a medical doctor by training and then discovered that she really enjoys basic science. She finished medical school then pursued a doctoral degree in biological sciences. Her research at NASA focuses on the origins of life. She says you can tell a lot about the history of humanity by studying the molecules of humans. Alvarez Carreno studies proteins -- in particular she studies patterns of ribosomal proteins across all living organisms to help understand past events. In this episode of Further Together: The ORAU Podcast, Alvarez Carreno talks to host Michael Holtz about her own evolution as a scientist, the importance of mentorship and collaboration, and so much more. To learn more about the NASA Postdoctoral Program, visit https://npp.orau.org/index.html

Mental health and DEIA considerations in the preparedness and response space Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

As National Preparedness Month comes to a close, we offer a second episode of Further Together to focus on our expertise in the preparedness space. This conversation focuses on preparedness through various lenses, including mental health and psychological first aid, and diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Michael Holtz and Amber Davis talk to Matthew Schnupp, project manager and health education specialist on ORAU's public health and healthcare team. To learn more about ORAU's preparedness capabilities, visit https://orau.org/public-health-healthcare/emergency-preparedness-and-response.html

Ending cancer as we know it, for everyone: A conversation with Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN Sep 18, 2023

Show notes

he American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, are committed to ending cancer as we know it, for everyone. ORAU has supported the work of both organizations by sponsoring Relay For Life and Lights of Hope events for many years. Further Together host Michael Holtz is a member of ACS CAN's National Ambassador Team and a long-time volunteer for the organization. In this episode, he and co-host Matthew Underwood talk to Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN, about the organization's role in making the fight against cancer a national priority, efforts to be more inclusive in its work, fundraising through Lights of Hope, the importance of community and corporate support and so much more. This episode drops during ACS CAN's Leadership Summit and Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. To learn more about ACS CAN, visit www.fightcancer.org.

So no one faces cancer alone: A conversation about the Cancer Support Community of East Tennessee Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

Given our history of working in the cancer space, it makes perfect sense that ORAU supports several organizations that provide support and advocate for people with cancer. One of those organizations is the Cancer Support Community of East Tennessee, which provides an array of support and educational programs for cancer patients, survivors and family members. In this episode of Further Together, Michael Holtz and Matthew Underwood talk to Beth Hamil, executive director of CSCET, about the organization's mission, the variety of programs they offer, upcoming fundraising events and how people can support their work. To learn more about CSCET, visit https://www.cancersupportet.org/

Episode 124: Whole-community and whole-person preparedness: a conversation for National Preparedness Month Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

ORAU has decades of experience helping the healthcare and public health systems prepare for, respond to and recover from events like pandemics, natural disasters, terrorism and other unforeseen disruptive events. September is National Preparedness Month. In this conversation, Michael Holtz and Amber Davis talk to Jennifer Burnette and Will Artley from ORAU's Public Health and Healthcare Team, about preparedness for older individuals, rural communities, urban areas, etc. They also discuss the ripple effects of climate change on the growing number of natural disasters and the ever-present state of readiness, as well as a series of discussion guides the team created for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To learn more about ORAU's emergency preparedness and response capabilities, visit https://orau.org/public-health-healthcare/emergency-preparedness-and-response.html To learn how you can prepare at home, visit https://www.ready.gov/