Alumni Newsletter - May 2021 |
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Hats off to the Class of 2020-2021. On May 10, we celebrated the completion of the Class of 2020-2021 in a virtual closing ceremony that welcomed 230 participants. Guest speakers included Acting Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator Dr. Charles P. Verdon and Deb Gracio, associate laboratory director for PNNL’s National Security Directorate. Fellows also presented posters showcasing their experiences from across the enterprise.
Thank you to all of the alumni who joined us at the event. With this class, our alumni network now totals more than 600! It is hard to believe how much the program has grown since its inception in the 1990s. We greatly appreciate your continued to support to the program, to our fellows, and to the alumni network.
Congratulations to the Class of 2020-2021 graduates—we welcome you to our alumni network and look forward to seeing where your career takes you!
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Here comes the Class of 2021-2022. Our Class of 2021-2022 comes aboard virtually at orientation this June, and our year-long agenda of professional development opportunities is filling up quickly. If you are interested in joining in our alumni events or would like to share virtual networking or training opportunities to help fellows connect within the nuclear security enterprise, contact ngfp@pnnl.gov.
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On the (virtual) road again! Our recruiters have hit the remote recruitment road, connecting with universities nationwide to recruit for the Class of 2022-2023, which will begin its fellowships in June 2022. We have held nearly 40 virtual information sessions since the application opened in March. To help tell our story, we produced a suite of videos featuring several fellows and alumni as well as an overview that helps answer the question “What do NGFP fellows do and why does it matter?”
This spring we also participated in the inaugural Organizations in Solidarity conference hosted by the Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security focusing on diversity in the fields of peace and security, foreign policy, and national security. The two-day event featured listening sessions showcasing the organization’s 13 working groups and 12 commitments dedicated to standing against racism and forming the future through early and budding career professionals.
If you know current or recent graduate students interested in the fellowship, please encourage them to tune into the videos and check us out online at pnnl.gov/projects/ngfp where we list upcoming information sessions open to all students. Do you have a university or faculty contact to recommend or want to join us in hosting an information session? Let us know!
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Several fellows in the Class of 2020-2021 recently completed the Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs' National Security Executive Leadership Program. The one-week professional development program helps mid-level national security professionals gain an understanding of U.S. national security, instruments of national power, the appropriations process, and critical decision-making, as well as a general background in technical and regional policy issues. The curriculum mixed participatory learning and simulations centered around cybersecurity in critical infrastructure protection.
“The program provided a unique opportunity to collaborate with veteran national security professionals, including the former Secretary of the Navy and representatives from the National War College, on current and emerging national security issues,” said Austin Wright (NA-195). “The dialogue that emerged during our discussions helped deepen our collective understanding of the intricacies of world affairs while also highlighting the vast diversity of policy options available to promote American security interests. On a personal level, the program helped me better understand regional security issues and the role our allies play in projecting American power across the globe.”
Participating fellows included Ryan Coogan (NA-181), Maura Lapoff (NA-532), Savannah MacLean (NA-10), Carolyn Migli (NA-195), Erin Morrissey (NA-213), Rainbow Suh (NA-122.3), Ryan Tan (NA-84), Alexander Thien (NA-213), Jacob Tuia (NA-192), and Samra Wolde-Tensae (NA-242).
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Fellow supports Robotics Working Group. Fellow Maura Lapoff has been participating in the NA-532’s Robotics and Autonomous Solutions Working Group, a collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories, PNNL, Savannah River Site, and others. During her fellowship, Maura supported the working group’s first meeting to develop a charter containing its mission, scope, guiding principles, goals, and objectives. Most recently, she led a discussion on determining necessary actions that will support this charter.
“This has been a great opportunity to collaborate with subject matter experts from across the national laboratories and NNSA sites,” Maura said. Maura is a fellow in the NA-532 Office of Nuclear Material Integration. She is pursuing a Master of Arts in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in computational social science at George Mason University.
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Daniel also found time to give back, lending his time as a volunteer judge to the virtual middle school science fair with the Lied STEM Academy. “I am grateful that the NNSA has allowed us to continue the fellowship virtually, and this experience has been crucial for my development as a scientist within the national security enterprise,” Daniel said.
Daniel is a fellow with the NA-NV Nevada Field Office. He has a Master of Science in chemistry from Purdue University.
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NNSA women working to keep America safe. In honor of Women’s History Month, NNSA highlighted five phenomenal women—including NGFP alumni Hannah Gardiner (Class of 2019-2020) and Anagha Iyengar (Class of 2014-2015)—who are forging an inspirational new path for women and girls aspiring in STEM.
Since completing her fellowship, Hannah has been working with the NA-115 Office of Engineering and Technology Maturation, where she works with NNSA sites to fund research and development of new and improved manufacturing methods. Anagha works in the NA-241 Office of International Nuclear Safeguards within the Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control, where she manages the advanced reactor international safeguards engagement activities and the bilateral safeguards cooperation with Western Europe. She also supports the office’s efforts to assess national security risks posed by emerging and foundational technologies.
Read more about Hannah, Anagha, and others leading the way in STEM on the NNSA news site.
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Welcome back (to Brookhaven). Sidra Zia (Class of 2019-2020) recently returned to Brookhaven National Laboratory following the completion of her NGFP fellowship in the NNSA Office of Radiological Security. Sidra brought with her new nuclear nonproliferation policy know-how to support the Nonproliferation and National Security Department. To learn more about Sidra’s journey from Brookhaven to NGFP and back again, see “Meet Sidra Zia and Welcome Her Back to Brookhaven Lab.” You can also read about Sidra and her NGFP cohort in the 2020 annual report published earlier this year.
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Recognizing Women of Mass Distinction. In March, the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management hosted the Women of Mass Distinction event focused on inclusion in the nuclear materials management field. The virtual networking event featured a moderated panel and small group networking via a collaborative virtual platform. Guest speakers included NGFP alumni Katherine Bachner (Class of 2010-2011) from Brookhaven National Laboratory and Wardah Amir (Class of 2019-2020) from U.S. Department of State.
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Save the date. The Class of 2021-2022 orientation will be held virtually in half-day sessions June 14 to 25. If you would like to join us for an informational session or alumni panel, contact ngfp@pnnl.gov.
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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!
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NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
1100 Dexter Ave N, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98109 USA
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