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Erika Gupta is an operations supervisor in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) Fuel Cells Technologies Office (FCTO). Erika joined FCTO in 2012 as a technology development manager, managing projects which could lower the cost of production and delivery of hydrogen and serving as the U.S. DRIVE Hydrogen Delivery Technical Team co-chair. As the operations supervisor for her office, Erika is ensuring execution of the programs goals. She held several positions across various industries prior to joining FCTO. Most recently, she was the lead controls engineer for steam methane reformer development at Nuvera. Prior to working for Nuvera, Erika worked on pneumatic system design and in the semi-conductor industry, specializing in degradation mechanisms on high-powered LEDs. Erika attained her B.S. in mechanical engineering at Boston University and her M.S. in mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Alison Goss Eng is the program manager for feedstock supply and logistics and advanced algal systems in EERE's Bioenergy Technology Office. Alison guides a diverse research portfolio developing technologies to provide a reliable, affordable and sustainable biomass supply to the growing advanced bioenergy industry. She is also the liaison between the Biomass Research and Development (BRD) Board and the BRD Operations Committee, an interagency collaborative composed of senior decision-makers from federal agencies and the White House. Alison attained her B.S. in biology, english, and communications from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC and has her Ph.D. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from Purdue University.

Othalene Lawrence is the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) lead program manager for diversity and inclusion, outreach, STEM, and veteran’s initiatives. As the first African-American female environmental scientist hired at DOE, in 1992, she developed EERE’s first National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), environmental justice program, and diversity and inclusion operational strategic implementation plans. Othalene has more than 35 years of experience managing environmental, safety, and health-related programs on a local, national and global level. One of several accomplishments include developing and managing a ‘model’ asbestos program for the Department of the Navy. Othalene graduated from Howard University as a pre-med student with a B.S. in zoology and a chemistry minor, and attained her masters in environmental science policy from George Washington University.

Alice is a program manager in DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Technology-to-Market team, catalyzing new networks and prizes to help entrepreneurs move their technologies from research institutions into the market. Specifically, she manages Cleantech University Prize (UP) and the National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy (NIICE). Cleantech UP helps to foster the next generation of clean energy innovators, providing them with competitive funding and business training that helps students move clean energy technologies to the marketplace. NIICE supports clean energy business incubators across the country; through these incubators, small businesses and entrepreneurs can obtain critical services to help successfully develop and commercialize clean energy technologies, including mentorship, business development, capital access, and manufacturing support. Alice attended the University of Virginia where she earned a bachelors in environmental science and is currently studying at John Hopkins University for her masters of science in energy and climate change.

Valri leads a team responsible for overseeing Manufacturing USA Innovation Institutes which aims to accelerate innovation in advanced materials and manufacturing through collaborations of industry, academia, and government. These Institutes are critical to developing technologies that support a growing US clean energy manufacturing capability and creating tremendous opportunities for highly skilled jobs in the future. For example, under her guidance, Institutes are developing composites to help make vehicles lighter resulting in higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Research is also enabling the recovery and reuse of rare earth metals from magnets in computer hard disk drives. Recycling these materials reduces the need to mine these elements helping to protect the environment and lower the overall cost of new products that contain these metals. In addition, the development of techniques to do 3D printing of molds offers opportunities for rapid prototyping of wind blade designs which dramatically lowers the cost to produce new wind turbine blades. Prior to joining the Advanced Manufacturing Office, Valri was in the Loan Programs Office where she led the technical oversight of first-of-a-kind commercial deployments of wind, solar and geothermal projects. Valri is a graduate of Villanova University where she studied chemical engineering.

Dr. Johanna Wolfson is the Director of Technology-to-Market in DOE¹s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). In this position, she leads efforts to reduce barriers and inefficiencies in the U.S. innovation system in service of getting promising clean energy technologies to market. Existing efforts under Tech-to-Market help launch entrepreneurs and new businesses out of universities and National Labs, help support early-stage clean energy businesses with funding and incubator services, provide small businesses with technical support at National Labs, and position startup companies for scale-up. She is also responsible for developing new EERE programs in service of the Tech-to-Market mission, and for coordinating Tech-to-Market efforts across EERE¹s technology offices.

Suzanne Tegen is the wind and water deployment manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) National Wind Technology Center. Trained in energy analysis, Suzanne researches the intersection between wind power, communities, wildlife, and economics. She studies the domestic wind and water power workforces and manages a group of engineers and project leaders, working toward cleaner water and cleaner air for future generations.

Amber Hames is a graduate fellow at Argonne National Laboratory. She works on recycling used nuclear fuel using pyrochemical processing. She's from Homer Glen, Illinois, and attended Lewis University, earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry. She is working on a doctorate in chemistry.

"We need to ensure that we are always demonstrating the relevancy of STEM to our most critical challenges and that need new blood is needed to be most innovative. Girls and underrepresented groups need to see that their experience is crucial to contributing to solutions to these challenges. Not everyone in STEM has an engineering or science degree – folks can have other backgrounds."

"The U.S. is a great melting pot of cultures, and we are entering an era when the rapid growth of information technology is making it much easier to empower a thought, a value, or a group of people. This is a perfect foundation to successfully engage and promote STEM amongst women and underrepresented groups. The key is to convey the idea that STEM is part in our everyday life and success in a STEM-based career is achievable for everyone, including them."

"Coming up with new ideas and techniques to solve the mysteries of the universe is extremely exciting and very rewarding. We are challenged on a daily basis. There is absolutely no routine in what we do. This keeps you very active, and mentally always challenged. I also love the fact that we collaborate with people from all over the world, and travel to present our new research ideas all over the globe. I had the chance to live in multiple countries: starting with my home country Algeria, going to Italy, Germany, Switzerland and finally my current home, the U.S. I could not dream of a more interesting scientific and social life than what I have experienced so far."

"In high school, I was the only person (male or female) who liked physics. I found it intellectually stimulating and very satisfying to learn how nature really worked. It was fascinating to me that one could use mathematics to describe physical phenomena and to calculate the outcome of experiments. I couldn't imagine a more interesting career than doing research to advance our understanding of nature."

"Before working for the DOE, my research in academia was primarily based in fundamental knowledge with no real world applications. Now, my research efforts help develop technologies for a facility that runs 24/7 so I am able to see the immediate importance and implications of my work. The idea that my work plays a role in solving some of the world’s toughest problems is exciting and rewarding!"

"Through my position at SRNL, I am able to develop innovative ideas that help to ensure America’s homeland security and continued prosperity. Through transformative science and technology solutions, SRNL will continue to be a leader of the scientific community. I am also able to give back to my local community. I volunteer and conduct numerous community outreach programs centered on STEM related events each year. This is truly one of the most rewarding aspects of my position at SRNL."

"There are many great things about my job. I enjoy being part of an international collaboration and being able to work with scientists from many different countries and cultures. At Fermilab, I enjoy working with the talented postdocs, scientists, and engineers that are working on a wide range of research in technology and collider physics analysis. My day is typically divided between discussing the latest analysis results from our experiment and how to best 'rehab' our detector to get the most gain in our physics reach in future running."

"My work is aimed at understanding our universe. As we have learned more about it we have realized that we only understand about 5% of the energy in the universe. The rest is in dark matter and dark energy. I was in charge of building a 500 Mpixel, five-ton camera to measure the effects of dark energy. We put it on the telescope in August 2012, and we have been collecting images since then."

"As a young child, I was more interested in conducting experiments with my chemistry set and investigating things under a microscope than having dolls and playing dress-up. I had many opportunities in my youth to participate in various extracurricular programs related to science, and I took full advantage of those offerings. As I progressed through my education, my love of math became more apparent and an engineering degree seemed like the most logical way to combine both interests."

"While it is important to introduce science at a young age, the number of women and underrepresented groups completing a graduate program is still low. There is a need to recruit and maintain the number of women and underrepresented groups working in STEM careers. If we lose them at the early career level, who will be there to inspire the next generation? For me, participating in mentoring programs was crucial to successfully completing my doctorate and is still an important factor as I progress in my career."

"I would say that a solid education is the foundation for anyone looking to enter this field. I was fortunate enough to have family members who supported me when I went on to obtain the best education offered at that time. I also encourage young people not to put limits on themselves, and remain open minded, no matter what job you have at any given time. You never know where you could end up. It has been my experience that one job can lead to another, and so on."

"To be a scientist is exciting and fun! It is also inspiring to your friends and family!"

"Growing up, my father always encouraged me to study engineering. He claims to have put a calculus book in my crib rather than a baby toy. I started college a chemistry major, and after a couple of years, changed to engineering."

"Our country needs to make STEM education more interesting to everyone—not just females—by finding innovative ways to make STEM courses more engaging and dynamic. An effort also needs to be made to erase false limitations. People need to be taught there is nothing to prevent them from entering into STEM careers."

"I think the biggest challenge about pursuing my career was always being in the very small minority of women in my field. In my college classes, seminars at my job, and even conferences, the vast majority of colleagues are male. However, being recognized by my peers for my work, surprisingly, built and continues to build my confidence."

"Science is not just a career; it is a passion. Every day I have the opportunity to see or do something that no one else has. It is an extremely rewarding career, where I get to constantly learn. Think of a science education as an opportunity to explore and grow your passion."

"As families, communities and states, we must work together to provide role models for our young people and create opportunities for higher education, regardless of the field of study. Aspects of STEM-related skills apply to almost everything we do in work, play, and life. As a country, we should make education a priority and use our tax dollars to support education reforms."