Undergraduate Research Experiences
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) provides undergraduate participants with a better knowledge of their anticipated field of study. By conducting authentic research while networking with researchers and fellow students, participants expand their expertise into new areas.
Experiences of undergraduate participants are highlighted in the following profiles and videos:
Garrett Angus
Garrett Angus tested explosive stimulants as part of his research with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Laboratory Visiting Scientist program.
Michael Capozzoli
Michael Capozzoli, a participant in the NETL Summer Internship Progam, studied computer programming and now is employed by a NETL contractor to work on a new website.
Paris Cornwell
Paris Cornwell, a participant in the Laboratory Technology Program at ORNL, traded his pizza delivery job for an opportunity to help make a future delivery person’s vehicle safer and more fuel efficient.
Matthew Dickenson
Undergraduate Matthew Dickenson studied leadership transitions within terrorist organizations while participating in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security HS-STEM Summer Internship Program.
Eric Dulmes
Eric Dulmes, an undergraduate in the DHS Scholarship Program, characterized explosives and blast effects to support aircraft vulnerability testing and assessment.
Shaun Galvan
As a participant in the DHS HS-STEM Summer Internship Program, Shaun Galvan worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory synthesizing gold and silver particles to enhance Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy analysis of explosive substances.
April Gillens
April Gillens interned in the Earth and Environmental Science Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory where she determined stable isotope “signatures” that could help stop illicit trafficking of nuclear materials.
Kevin Harper
Kevin Harper started out developing laser-fused surfaces as part of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Laboratory Technology Internship Program, but today as a result, he is a full-time employee at ORNL as lab technician.
Alicia Johnston
Alicia Johnston performed analytical laboratory work in support of shoe-screening detection technology as part of her research with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s TSL Visiting Scientist Program.
Leslie Koyama
Leslie Koyama, a participant in U.S. DHS HS-STEM Internship Program, spendt the summer researching the mechanisms of DNA repair at Sanida National Laboratory.
Ashton Lesiak
Ashton Lesiak studied soil radiation levels to evaluate the possible effects on people and the environment during her research with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s HS-STEM Summer Internship Program.
Ezinne Nwankwo
Ezinne Nwankwo, an undergraduate at Emory University and a summer intern for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at Sandia National Laboratories, is investigating ways to improve more rapid technology for DNA "fingerprinting."
Ramey Triplets - Kelley, Lucas & Jason
Kelley and Lucas Ramey conducted reseach on radiation detection technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Meanwhile, their brother Jason researched reactor efficiency in another laboratory as part of the same program.
Josh Schmidlin
Josh Schmidlin worked with the 3-D laser scanner he helped develop and install on the Neutron Residual Stress Diffractometer instrument during his recent Laboratory Technology Internship at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor.
Graham Snodgrass
Graham Snodgrass, undergraduate at Hartford Community College, uses photography to create technical images of potentially harmful insects while participating in the Department of Defense’s U.S. Army Public Health Command Program. The technical images are used by U.S. troops while in the field.
Christopher Tomkins-Tinch
Christopher Tomkins-Tinch participated in the Undergraduate Student Cooperative Education Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory where his research could help the U.S. government fight biological weapons of mass destruction.
Paul Turner
Paul Turner, a physics major at Middle Tennessee State University, developed a Web-based tool that describes the inner workings of cochlear implants as part of his Pre-Service Teacher internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.