Nearly every conversation we have on the ORISE Featurecast about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship discusses the challenge of the application process. In this episode, Michael Holtz and guest co-host Natasja Brown take a deep dive into the application and the process through which AEF Fellows are selected. They are joined by Stacie Marvin, an AEF alumnus who was a fellow on Capitol Hill in 2023, and Lora Taylor, a current Fellow at Library of Congress.

Natasja Denise Brown is a passionate science educator with twelve years of experience teaching students from 7th grade through the university level. Most recently, she has taught high school accelerated biology at Ocean Springs High School in Mississippi while also serving as an adjunct instructor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where she taught Biology I and II. Her dedication to students extends far beyond the classroom. She founded the middle and high school Science Bowl teams at her school, coaching them for the past six years to achieve first place or runner-up finishes nearly every year in the state. In the most recent national competition, her team ranked among the top 32 in the nation. In addition, she has served as the freshman student council sponsor, advised the Red Cross Club, and contributed to the National Honor Society faculty committee.

Lora Taylor is a STEM educator and community collaborator who believes learning should be hands-on and connected to real post-secondary opportunities. She joins the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship from Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee, where she has taught across multiple grade levels and roles from AP high school biology to middle school science, digital fabrication, STEM, and computer-aided design (CAD). Lora’s approach blends engineering principles, digital fabrication, and community collaboration. Her classrooms are vibrant, maker-centered spaces where students tackle real-world issues using tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and physical computing to bring ideas to life.

Stacie Marvin is a Math Specialist at Lake Elkhorn Middle School in Howard County, Maryland. In a career that has spanned three decades, she has taught learners from Pre-K to college level. She has served in leadership roles in her schools and district, as grade-level and Math team leader as well as Teacher Development Liaison for new teachers. She courageously seeks out new, proven, and effective teaching practices for her classroom that meet the needs of her students. When she finds and implements an effective strategy that energizes learners, she extends her reach through professional development presentations and mentoring other educators.

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.