Inside the nation's library: Albert Einstein Fellows at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress serves as the research library for the U.S. Congress and is also the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The Library of Congress manages the largest collection of books, photographs, maps, and manuscripts in the world. Programs for learners of all ages are constantly in development, making the Library perfectly suited for Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows. In this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, host Michael Holtz and co-host Amy Szczepanski talk to Amara Alexander and Kelsey Beeghly about their AEF experiences at the Library of Congress. Amara Alexander, is a middle school principal in Tennessee, and was an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator at the Library of Congress in the 2019-2020 cohort. As an Einstein Fellow, Amara worked on highlighting African American inventors and their inventions through blogs and professional development sessions. Kelsey Beeghly, is a curriculum and assessment coordinator from Florida, is currently serving as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator at the Library of Congress. She is currently developing science teaching resources incorporating primary sources and expanding knowledge of the Library of Congress’ collections related to the history of STEM. 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.