Educators who are selected for the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship say the program changes their lives and their classrooms for the better. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, Michael Holtz talks to four current and former AEF Fellows about how the program has impacted their lives and the lives of their students. Gretel von Bargen, Kelly Day, Amy Szczepanski and Dr. Pascale Creek Pinner share their experiences in this wide-ranging and informative conversation.

Gretel von Bargen was an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow in the Department of Energy, Office of Science. After the fellowship, Gretel returned to teaching an advanced biology course for high school students. As a dedicated STEM educator, Gretel works to develop her students' understanding and appreciation for the nature of science and the natural world. 

Kelly Day, a former middle school math teacher from Indiana served as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow for the Department of Energy from August 2020 to July 2022.  During her fellowship, Day helped manage the National Science Bowl and participated in the FC- STEM Interagency Working group on Convergence Education.  Day currently works for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science’s Workforce Development of Teachers and Scientists office.  

Amy Szczepanski, a high school teacher from New York City, is currently serving as the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator at the Department of Energy (DOE) in the Office of Workforce Development of Teachers and Scientists (WDTS). Currently, Amy is working on supporting the programs WDTS provides as well as expanding her own professional development as an educator.

Dr. Pascale Creek Pinner was an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator in the Department of Energy, Office of Science from 2018-2019. After she completed her fellowship, Dr. Pinner returned to her home state of Hawai’i. She is currently an NGSS curriculum coordinator and teacher in the Hilo Intermediate School district. 

The AEF program provides unique opportunities for accomplished K-12 STEM educators to serve 11 months in a federal agency or U.S. Congressional office. Einstein Fellows bring their extensive classroom knowledge and experience to their host offices to inform federal STEM education efforts. Einstein Fellows gain knowledge, resources, and broader perspectives on national educational issues that can then be brought back to the classroom or to leadership positions in their districts or elsewhere. Einstein Fellows bring their expertise, practical insights, and real-world experience as classroom teachers to Congress and to branches of federal government in an effort to contribute to the educational outcomes of research, award, and instructional programs at the sponsoring agencies. To learn more, or to apply for the AEF, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein  

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Act gives the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) the responsibility for managing the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship. The DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) manages this program for DOE in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and the partnering Federal agencies, which, at the time of this recording, included the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Library of Congress (LOC), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The DOE sponsors five placements in congressional offices.