ORISE Featurecast

Gamification in the classroom applies game design elements, like points, badges, leaderboard, and leveling up, to increase student engagement and improving learning. Gamification does not mean turning everything into a game, though. As our Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows discuss in this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, gamification is selective. Natasja Brown, guest co-host for this cohort of AEF Fellows, and host Michael Holtz are joined by Shane Wines and Steve Kirsche, two experts on gamification in the classroom.



Dr. Shane Wines is a distinguished educator, researcher, and leader in computer science education. With over a decade of experience teaching and coordinating middle and high school computer science programs, he currently serves as both the Computer Science Coordinator and a high school teacher for Calvert County Public Schools. He facilitates professional development for the Maryland Center for Computing Education and Code in the Schools, mentors computer science educators, and was named Calvert County's 2020 STEM Teacher of the Year. A recipient of the Maryland Governor's Citation, Dr. Wines also served as president of the Maryland Chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association, leading a statewide network of over 500 educators who advocate for accessible and high-quality computer science instruction.



Steve Kirsche is a middle school science program specialist for Saint Johns County School District in Florida. He previously taught math and science at both the middle school and high school levels and served as an Albert Einstein Fellow from 2019-2020 in the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA. Steve earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Upon graduating, he was commissioned in the United States Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer. He served at commands in the United States and Japan and is a veteran of Desert Shield/Desert Storm.



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.

Keri Cagle, Ed.D., ORISE Director, joins Michael Holtz as special co-host for the ORISE Featurecast. In this episode, they talk to Scott Crawford, Ph.D., a research physical scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Lab in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who has served as an ORISE mentor and was once an ORISE research program participant. NETL is dedicated to innovating and accelerating the nation’s energy solutions in hydrocarbon, geothermal energy and critical minerals production. Crawford’s research is focused on developing low-cost sensors for economically critical metals, as well as hydrogen sensing development, and serves as the responsible person for the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy lab at NETL. In this conversation we discuss Crawford’s career trajectory, the importance of mentorship, and how ORISE has been a key partner in the success of NETL and other research participation programs.



To learn more about NETL, visit https://netl.doe.gov/



To learn more about ORISE research participation programs, visit https://orise.orau.gov/internships-fellowships/index.html

Sara Howard, Ph.D., is an epidemiologist for the ORISE Health Studies group. She is co-project manager of the Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) data repository relating to the health effects for DOE workers, contractors, subcontractors, former workers, as well as the communities around DOE sites. Through CEDR, data is made available to researchers, educators and students, whether they are asking questions specific to radiation or are learning computer science, programming and statistics. Having a robust data resource like CEDR is important, Howard said, because science evolves. More questions may be asked. “Maybe we want to go back to this historical information, and maybe it's applying a new dosimetry model to the original exposure estimates and seeing how that compares against to what was already calculated. Maybe it is asking a completely new question or analyzing with a new method. That can get us even further in science. But you can't do any of that if you don't have data.”

To learn more about CEDR, visit: https://oriseapps.orau.gov/cedr/

National Science Bowl® is a fast-paced academic competition that offers teams of high school and middle school students from across the country a chance to match their wits in math and science in a series of head-to-head competitions. Regional competitions are held across the country, and 115 teams will advance from regionals to the National Science Bowl® in Washington, D.C., this April, all expenses paid! ORISE and Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows have played a role in providing logistical support for years. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, hosts Michael Holtz and Natasja Brown discuss Science Bowl with educator Mary Lou O’Donnell and Sirius Drahos, who was one of Brown’s students when she coached her school’s Science Bowl team.

To learn more about National Science Bowl®, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb

Volunteers are a crucial component to a successful Science Bowl. If you are interested in volunteering, visit


https://science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb/Volunteers

Marylou O’Donnell currently works for ORISE assisting Jan Tyler in all things related to the National Science Bowl. This role evolved from her 2019 to 2020 AEF fellowship in which she served as the DOE fellow. Living in Long Island NY, she served 24 years as a chemistry, biology and research teacher in Plainview-Old Bethpage school district. She was the coordinator of their award-winning Independent Research Program. Her students placed nationally at the INTEL STS (Regeneron STS), the International Science and Engineering Fair, the DuPont Challenge, Toshiba Exploravision and eCybermission. Prior to this she worked for a decade in the NYC public school system as a computer science, biology, chemistry, and research teacher.

Sirius Drahos is a freshman at Ocean Springs High School with a strong passion for math and science. His love for these subjects led him to join his school's Science Bowl team. He has always enjoyed experimenting with chemistry and computer science kits and even received monthly engineering kits for a year. After high school, Sirius plans to attend Mississippi State University to major in software development. His ultimate goal is to work at Mojang Studios, and if hired, he’s ready to make the big move to Sweden. Beyond academics, Sirius has been involved in soccer since he was four years old. In 2024, he transitioned from player to referee, taking on a new role in his local recreational league. In his free time, he enjoys computer gaming, basketball, writing music, and spending time with friends and family. His favorite science subjects are chemistry and Earth science because he loves seeing real-world applications and hands-on demonstrations.

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.

Imagine using a protein from bacteria as a cleaning solution to reduce or eliminate food borne illnesses. That's the research Sheetal Jha conducted as an ORISE research program participant at the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Jha is pursuing her doctoral degree at Louisiana State University and her ORISE appointment ended in October 2025. Her presentation on bacteriocins and safer foods was named Fan Favorite at the 2025 ORAISE Ignite Off! competition Jah completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in India with a focus on pharmaceuticals, but her interest in public health, safety and food science served as a bridge to her current research focus.

To see Sheetal Jha's ORISE Ignite Off! presentation, "Bacteriocins at work for safer food," go to https://orise.orau.gov/internships-fellowships/resources/ignite-off-competition.html

To learn more about ORISE research participation program opportunities at the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, visit https://orise.orau.gov/usda-ars/index.html