In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, host Michael Holtz and guest co-host Amy Szczepanski talk to Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows who spent their fellowship time on Capitol Hill. They talk about what it's like to work behind the scenes in the nation's seat of power, the people they met, and what they will take back to their communities from their experiences.

Steve Robinson was a 2005 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow in the office of Senator Barack Obama. During his time as a Senate staffer, he also served as a mentor for students in DCPS, as a reading tutor for elementary grade students and as a math tutor with middle school students. Prior to joining the Einstein Fellowship, Steve was a high school science teacher in Eugene, Oregon. Steve Robinson joined the Department of Education as a Special Advisor to Secretary Arne Duncan. Prior to joining the Department, Robinson served as the Legislative Assistant for education in the office of then-Senator Barack Obama, advised on policy development during the presidential campaign, and worked on education issues with the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team.

Jacquelyn (Freeman) Southerland was a 2023-2024 Einstein Fellow in the office of Rep. Suzanne Bonamici. Prior to becoming a Fellow, Jacquelyn served as the science Department Chair and Science Content Lead at Prince George County's Public Schools. After completing her undergraduate coursework in Life Science: Biology, Ms Southerland expanded her knowledge in environmental sciences through internships with the University of Massachusetts: Boston, the University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill. There her research earned her the National Science Fellowship Grant. She continues to encourage other educators on the importance of STEM through relativity through integrated learning practices.

Tyler Dufrene is a 2022-2023 Einstein Fellow placed on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. He taught AP Physics and Chemistry in Raceland, Louisiana, and in 2018, was elected to the Lafourche Parish School Board. Tyler currently serves as a Professional Learning Specialist for Arlington Public Schools and a Master Teacher of Invention and Intellectual Property (MTIP) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 

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.

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.

To learn more about

the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.