EM's MSIPP: Advancing a Sustainable, Diverse STEM Pipeline

“The first thing is showing up,” Ty Sanders said as he and other members of a panel were asked for guidance about careers, mentorships and networking.

The senior advisor at EM’s Idaho National Laboratory Site said there are people who don’t want to fill out applications or sign up for events like the panel session they participated in at the 2024 Waste Management Symposia focusing on EM's Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) and advancing a sustainable, diverse science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) pipeline.

“Part of all this is just being there for each other and showing each other, ‘Hey, I have this type of thing going on. What can you help me with, what can I help you with,’” Sanders said. “And I encourage everyone here to take advantage of every single opportunity that’s available because once you go back from this week, you have probably less than 3,400 people all in one place. Take advantage of those resources while you’re here.”

His advice, tailored to the dozens of students in the audience, set the tone for a discussion in which a panel of two EM employees, a student and a university laboratory director shared advice with students looking to get ahead in STEM fields.

The EM MSIPP promotes the education and development of the next generation workforce in critical STEM related disciplines that complement current and future EM missions. EM recognizes that successfully completing its legacy environmental cleanup mission requires maintaining a highly-trained, technically skilled and diverse workforce. Minority representation in critical science and engineering fields is an important part of EM’s vision for this future workforce. EM MSIPP provides students and graduates of minority-serving institutions with hands-on education and experience by supporting collaborations between the institutions and DOE national laboratories.

Panelist Dameone Ferguson, a management and program analyst serving as EM’s diversity manager, expanded on insight from panelist Jadrien Huell, a computer engineering student at Claflin University, about a campus ecosystem supportive of college students that includes deans, professors and career advancement offices.

“I think that is a very vital ecosystem that you have access to within your own institution, and complementing that with the ecosystem that Energy brings, whether it’s environmental cleanup like where we’re having this focused conversation, or other facets of Energy,” Ferguson said. “The ability to be able to connect in with scientists, engineers and or HR professionals who may be able to help you get into a role and to help your career trajectory — all of those things complement one another when talking about ensuring the Jadriens and others that are represented in this room have access to opportunity.”

Asked by panel co-chair Genia McKinley, a general engineer with EM and program manager for the EM MSIPP, about maintaining a healthy student-life balance, Huell detailed how he works to get ahead of his assignments and pauses his commitments when necessary.

“That’s one thing I do to maintain that work-life balance,” Huell said. “Knowing when to take a break, to step back.”

He completed an internship at EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) last summer. Panel co-chair Vivian Holloway, the SRNL EM MSIPP program manager, said that Huell’s mentor specifically requested he return to the laboratory this summer, drawing applause from the audience.

Panelist Hardik Gohel, founding director of the Applied Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Houston-Victoria, discussed how he was born in India and studied in England before arriving in the United States.

“The United States has more resources for mentoring,” Gohel noted before encouraging students in the audience to get out and seek the many opportunities available to them. “I always make sure that my lab is growing, my students are growing, and the impact is exponential.”

McKinley asked Ferguson how students can leverage EM’s workforce development resources to enhance their job readiness.

He emphasized that students and other potential employees have multiple entry points to the cleanup program, including the DOE Scholars Program and Pathways Recent Graduates Program. One challenge EM faces is transferring knowledge from existing and retiring employees, some of whom have been with the program for 20 years or more, to early career professionals.

“We have set up some really great services through the EM Workforce Management Office that help to augment some of that, whether it’s through our mentorship programs or executive speaker series, which becomes another organic way that we share information and sound bites — because we know 20 years of experience can get overwhelming in two months of time,” he said.

Sanders also urged the students to research the federal budget process, from the top-dollar number down to the fine print.

“We have to go advocate for the individuals around us, the stakeholders, the groups that are looking for us to support our communities,” he said. “If you can’t talk budget, then you are probably not going to go to a certain height in your career, you won’t be able to lift that ceiling.”

Sanders also encouraged the students to seek certifications from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Management Institute that teach them about leadership, resilience and responding to events such as a pandemic.

“Each week my mentees have an assignment and have to come back with a certificate. Certifications are huge. Don’t overlook those,” he advised.

A handful of students in the audience stepped up to the microphone to ask the panelists questions during the session. One of them asked about additional certifications available. Sanders, an experienced mentor, offered to follow up with detailed information.

“I think for me the mentoring piece for college students is critical. It’s crucial. It’s one of those things I wish I did more when I was in undergrad or a master’s program,” Sanders added.

-Contributors: Matt Roberts, David Sheeley