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EMSL Stem Ambassadors Share Passion for Science with Students

January is National Mentoring Month

graphic illustration in blue and green with photos of five researchers
These five researchers serve as STEM ambassadors and mentors to students interested in science. (Illustration by Kelly Machart | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

As part of January’s National Mentoring Month, we’re introducing five researchers from the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory who serve as STEM ambassadors and mentors.

These scientists work with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education program, sharing their passion for science with students, teachers, and the public. Each STEM ambassador completes an eight-hour training course called Sharing the Science to discover how to communicate science with different audiences, how to be a role model, and how to best convey the impact and relevance of their research in a memorable way. Throughout the pandemic, STEM ambassadors have continued outreach online, visiting middle and high school classrooms remotely in communities near PNNL’s campuses.

The PNNL STEM program connects ambassadors with students, particularly in internship settings. STEM ambassadors provide critical support to help students persist in challenging STEM studies and showcase the breadth of career opportunities at a national laboratory.

Teachers can request a STEM ambassador through the program.

Learn more about the EMSL STEM ambassadors serving as mentors below.

photo of Chris Anderton

photo of Pubudu Handakumbura

photo of Kristin Burnum-Johnson

photo of Paul Piehowski

photo of Heather Olson