Further Together the ORAU Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 113: Alejandro Borlaff on moving to the other side of the world to follow your dreams May 04, 2023

Show notes

Alejandro Borlaff recently completed his NASA Postdoctoral Program experience at NASA Ames, and will continue working for NASA on a number of collaborative projects. He has a long-term interest in space telescopes and Borlaff has gotten to do some amazing work in this area. He calls himself an "ophthalmologist for space telescopes." In this episode, Borlaff and host Michael Holtz talk about his work, how his interest in science developed, and how he moved from Spain to fulfill his NASA dreams. To learn more about the NASA NPP, visit https://npp.orau.org/

Episode 112: Looking for signs of ancient life: Meet Erica Barlow, Ph.D., NASA NPP Fellow Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

Erica Barlow, Ph.D., is a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow based at Penn State University working at the Laboratory for Agnostic Biosignatures team. Originally from Australia, Barlow focuses on the question of whether rocks from the ancient Earth have or had life inside them and how life might have gotten there. In this conversation with host Michael Holtz, Barlow discusses her origin story, including her interest in environmental science from an early age, being mentored and mentoring others, and so much more. Barlow also talks about the impact of the NASA NPP program on her career and what may happen next for her. To learn more about the NASA NPP program or to apply, visit https://npp.orau.org/.

Episode 111: Mastering the art of recruiting for the EPA National Student Services Contract Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

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/

Episode 110: ORAU and university partnerships: Taking research further together Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

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.

Episode 109: OHRP Research Community Forum comes to Knoxville March 29-30 Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

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

Episode 108: Previewing ORAU's annual meeting with Ken Tobin and Cathy Fore Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

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

Episode 107: From growing up in Big Sky Country to studying exoplanets: Samson Johnson, Ph.D. Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

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/.

Episode 106: From science policy nerd to theoretical astrophysicist: Tiffany Lewis, Ph.D. Jan 11, 2023

Show notes

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/

Episode 105: Thanksgiving 2022: How ORAU employees give back in the communities where they live Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

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.

Episode 104: 'It was phenomenal!" A conversation with 2022 Extreme Classroom Makeover winner Stacey Whaley Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

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

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