Further Together the ORAU Podcast

Latest Episodes:

ARC STEM programs are key to Appalachian economic development Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

Every summer for the last 31 years, ORAU has managed a High School Summer Math-Science-Technology Institute and a Middle School Science Academy for the Appalachian Regional Commission. In ordinary times, both of these programs are residential in nature, with students and teachers traveling to Oak Ridge, Tenn., to work alongside researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, tour the area and more. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the programs had to be conducted remotely but participating students and teachers still got the high-quality experience for which these programs are known. In this conversation, Michael talked to Jennifer Tyrell from ORAU's K-12 team, and Wendy Wasserman, communications director for the ARC. We learned that the ORAU-managed programs have served as a template for other educational programs offered by ARC, and that these programs are vital to the economic development work ARC conducts across the region.

ORISE and WAGI Labs are helping kids learn to solve problems in their communities Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

This episode of the ORISE Featurecast is a conversation with Chic Thompson, founder of WAGI Labs, and Kayla Canario, ORISE K-12 program manager. ORISE and WAGI Labs are working together to help students learn the concepts of design thinking, entrepreneur and empathy so they can solve problems in their communities. Together, ORISE and WAGI Labs have created a free game that helps students learn these concepts. Learn all about during this episode of the ORISE Featurecast.

Giving in the time of COVID-19: United Way of Anderson County needs our help Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

The coronavirus pandemic has upended so much of how we live, learn, work and play. It has also impacted how we give. In this episode, Michael Holtz and Jenna Harpenau talk to Naomi Asher, executive director of the United Way of Anderson County, and representatives from three agencies supported by UWAC -- Michael Yates from Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services, Annie Cachiero from Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, and Brent Waugh from Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee. We talk about the services each of these agencies provides, how those services have been impacted by the pandemic, how the need is greater now as a result, and how we can all help serve people in need in our communities. Join us for an uplifting conversation!

Engaged, connected and informed: the benefits of the ORISE GO app Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

In May, ORISE launched a mobile app called ORISE GO. The app offers college students, recent graduates and postdoctoral students a mobile tool to search and apply for hundreds of science, technology, engineering and math internships, fellowships and research opportunities at national labs and facilities across the United States. The ORISE GO app also provides a platform to remain engaged, connected and informed during the ORISE experience—from application, to offer, through the appointment and even as an ORISE alum. Join hosts Michael Holtz and Jenna Harpenau as they invite Leslie Fox and Chelsea Gibson to hang out around the virtual coffee table.

ORAU's Diversity Council and the Importance of Being Visible Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

While most employees and the general public know of the ORAU Diversity Council through annual events like Heritage Day and Veterans Appreciation Day, the council is more than the events they produce. The council serves as a sounding board for employees who may have a concern about diversity related issues throughout the company. In this episode of Further Together, Michael talks to Mae Mosley, director of employee relations and diversity; Chanel Sudderth, employee relations and diversity specialist; and Dee-Dee James and Ann Gonzalez, two members of ORAU's Diversity Council. Together, they discuss the council's history and role at ORAU, the roles of the council members and how being visible is more important now than ever before.

Leading Indicator: Wastewater surveillance and COVID-19 Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

The waste we flush down the toilet can serve as a leading indicator of the prevalence of COVID-19 in a community, whether it's a city or a university campus. In this episode of Further Together, the ORAU podcast, Michael Holtz discusses wastewater surveillance with Dr. Kunal Rambhia and Dr. Monique Mansoura of The MITRE Corporation. They are joined by Ken Tobin, vice president of ORAU's University Partnerships Office, and Cathy Fore, senior university partnerships specialist. The conversation covers the importance of wastewater surveillance as a tool in tracking COVID-19 spread, particularly as universities prepare to welcome students back to campus. We also discuss the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition, of which ORAU and MITRE are members; and the partnership between the organizations and a means of facilitating relationships, research and work between government and academic institutions.

Exercise Builder Nuclear makes managing nuclear emergency preparedness exercises easier Jul 15, 2020

Show notes

When Exercise Builder Nuclear was first discussed as a concept in the spring of 2012, Don Hanlon, ORAU EBN project manager, did not fully realize the extent to which the platform would come to support national nuclear security. Today, EBN supports more than 53% of the nuclear industry with its nuclear security drills and exercises and is being offered in web and mobile app formats. EBN is an online platform used by emergency preparedness managers in the nuclear power industry to manage the many drills and exercises required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to prepare plants to meet any type of threat.

Riding into the danger zone: the work of ORAU's forensic DNA examiners Jul 01, 2020

Show notes

Sean Crabbe says The Hurt Locker, the 2008 Academy Award-winning film that follows an Iraq War ordnance disposal team, comes pretty close to following the approach he and his team take when conducting forensic DNA analysis for the Defense Forensic Science Center. In this episode, Crabbe talks about the work he and his team do, his background and what awaits him when pandemic travel restrictions are lifted. Don't miss this conversation!

Love Lives Here: Jill Latchana on balancing work and caring for five kids. Jun 10, 2020

Show notes

Jill Latchana says it's the little things that bring her joy, like a dance party with her five children to celebrate 15 years of marriage to her husband, Neil. Here five children each have different ethnic backgrounds, all are adopted or being fostered, and they clearly bring her joy. You'll hear in her voice as she talks about balancing work, life and caring for her kids during the COVID-19 lockdown in Maryland. Latchana manages the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Program for ORISE. Jenna and Michael talk to Jill about how she and Neil balance work with life as foster parents (they've fostered 18 kids), how they made the decision to adopt, how they pour love into the lives of their foster kids, and so much more. Life is always interesting, and Jill says it takes a village. She talks about her village people too.

COVID-19: what do we know now and where do we go from here? Jun 01, 2020

Show notes

States have loosened stay-at-home and safer-at-home restrictions. People are getting their hair done, going out to eat, shopping -- all of the things that came to a halt in mid-March. What have we learned and where do we go from here? Should we remain vigilant about possible exposure to the coronavirus? Are we facing the prospect of a second wave of illness in the fall, assuming the first wave comes to an end? That's the conversation Michael Holtz had with ORAU public health, preparedness and communication experts Freddy Gray, Julie Crumly, Rachel Vasconez and Jennifer Burnette.

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