Alumni Newsletter - August 2020 |
|
This spring, our NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program (NGFP) pivoted to the online environment, much to the thanks of our fellows, supervisors, NNSA, PNNL, NGFP alumni, and other partners who have worked together to sustain a productive, yet remote, environment. Since then, the Class of 2019 has completed their fellowship, we welcomed aboard the Class of 2020, and recruitment for the Class of 2021 continues virtually and is yielding strong results. The program has received over 320 applicants to date, already exceeding the total number of applications received last year. From closing ceremony to orientation to recruitment, we would like to thank everyone who has helped make this happen! |
|
Class of 2020 Completes Virtual Orientation. In June, we welcomed aboard the Class of 2020—54 graduate students placed (virtually for now) with offices across the nuclear security enterprise.
The fellows hail from more than 30 universities nationwide, as well as from London, England. Their backgrounds are equally diverse and span the technical and policy realms, from nuclear engineering and physics to security and intelligence studies.
When fellows deploy to their on-site offices later this year, they are based primarily in the Washington D.C., area with a few in Los Alamos, NM; Livermore, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Oak Ridge, TN; and Amarillo, TX. Fellows also will be placed at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Department of State. While each fellowship will vary, the fellows will participate in hands-on assignments, specialized training, and the NNSA Aspiring Leadership Certificate Program as they grow as future leaders in the field of nuclear security.
|
|
300+ Tune in for Closing Ceremony. While we could not convene in person, more than 300 alumni and program stakeholders tuned in for the virtual closing ceremony for the Class of 2019 and honored the program’s 25 years in operation. The online event featured keynote speaker Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator, as well as others from NNSA and PNNL who recognized the fellows for their work across the nuclear security enterprise. During the ceremony, the class shared a presentation highlighting their diverse assignments and individual posters from each graduate are available online. Read the web feature for details.
|
|
Dr. Rude to Retire. Dr. Dave Rude, NNSA Chief Learning Officer and NGFP Federal Program Manager, announced that after a career of almost 41 years, he will retire from federal service in August. We are grateful for his leadership and support of NGFP and wish him well in the next phase of his career as a Chief Learning Officer in the private sector. Jenny Kline, the Deputy Federal Program Manager, will serve as Acting Federal Program Manager during this transition period.
|
|
Connect with Alumni and Current Cohort. With many of us still teleworking, networking with peers can be even more challenging. We encourage you to utilize the NGFP LinkedIn Group to connect with each other and the current NGFP cohort. We also welcome your virtual networking strategies and tips for being productive while working from home!
|
|
Panelists Share Experience as Women of Color in Nuclear Security. In late May, NGFP alumna Wardah Amir (Class of 2019), Tracey-Ann Wellington (Class of 2015), Mareena Robinson Snowden (Class of 2017), Lauryn Williams (Class of 2018), and Erica Wolf (Class of 2019) joined the Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Policy Working Group for a panel discussion on “Experiences of Women of Color in the National Nuclear Security Administration Graduate Fellowship.” The team shared their experiences as fellows and as developing leaders within the nuclear security enterprise. Tune into the session at https://www.wcaps.org/cbrnworkinggroup.
|
|
Where have you been all these years? What have you been up to in your post-fellowship career? How did NGFP impact your professional trajectory? Have you taken on a new and exciting opportunity? We want to hear from you! Send us your latest career highlight and we will share it in a future newsletter! ngfp@pnnl.gov.
|
|
NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
1100 Dexter Ave N, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98109 USA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
