DNN Sentinel

Vol. I, No. 3

 addendum

u.s. department of energy (doe)

national nuclear security administration (nnsa)

defense nuclear nonproliferation (dnn) ENERGY National Nuclear Security Administration 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF

More about the NGFP 

Class of 2015

Cornelia Brim and Maren Disney of Pacific Northwest National 

Laboratory caught up with several NNSA Graduate Fellowship 

Program (NGFP) Fellows assigned to DNN after their first month 

on the job. The Fellows answered questions about why they had chosen 

to enter the field of nonproliferation and activities so far at DNN.

See the main article in the DNN Sentinel, Volume I, No. 3, online at 

http://nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ourprograms/nonproliferation-0. 

Additional excerpts from the interview are below.

What has been a character-building experience for you? 

For NGFP Fellows, it can take strong character to grow as future leaders 

for the NNSA enterprise. When asked what experiences have helped 

The NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program is 

a full-time, salaried fellowship program that 

places graduate-level students interested 

in nuclear security careers in offices across 

NNSA. In June 2015, 15 Fellows joined 

DNN for one year. Read more about the 

program in the DNN Sentinel, Volume I, 

No. 2, page 10. 

DNN FELLOWS

June 2015–June 2016 

DNN Front Office

•	 Thomas Gray

Office of Global Material Security 

•	 Benjamin Briese

•	 Emily Eng

•	 Elizabeth Lostracco

•	 Sarah Norris

•	 Kaitlin Oujo

Office of Material Management and 

Minimization

•	 Jessica Jagmin Brookins

•	 Andrew Brown

•	 Andrew Cartas

Office of Nonproliferation and Arms 

Control

•	 Robert (Ty) Otto

•	 Jason Portner

•	 Tracey-Ann Wellington 

Office of Research and Development

•	 Bonnie Canion 

•	 Lance Garrison

•	 Jessica Paul

NGFP Fellows (left to right) Tracey-Ann Wellington, Tom Gray, Jessica Jagmin 

Brookins, and Kaitlin Oujo participated in mock hearings during their orientation 

at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in June. Teams of Fellows were tasked 

to defend funding for different NNSA offices whose budgets were being reviewed 

by a panel representing Congress.
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Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN)

build their character, some Fellows 

cited previous experiences while others 

cited NGFP itself. 

For several Fellows, traveling abroad 

has been an eye-opening experience. 

For example, Sarah Norris was a Boren 

Fellow who went to Russia by herself. 

“I immersed myself in the culture and 

had to make my own connections and 

get the work done. Now I am more 

comfortable navigating international 

travel and international spaces.”

Tracey-Ann Wellington reported a 

similar experience, but in Asia. “I was 

conducting research under the National 

Science Foundation and at one of the 

institutes at the University of Tokyo. I had 

to navigate the Japanese scientific infrastructure to get data 

for my master’s thesis. I also worked for Samsung in Austin 

for a few years, and as a part of that job, I went to South 

Korea for training. I now feel very confident traveling because 

of those experiences,” she said.

Jason Portner also found living in Beijing after graduating 

from Northeastern University to be character-building. 

“Finding my way in a new country was a big experience for 

me,” he said.

Ben Briese reported that his time abroad helped shape 

his perspective on nonproliferation, “Before going to grad 

school, my previous professional life was working for a 

French-based humanitarian nongovernment organization 

that provided for refugee shelters, water, sanitation, childsafe areas. I worked in the Middle East—Iraq for a year, 

Jordan, on the border of Syria and Turkey, and Yemen. That 

whole part of my life was character-building. I saw first-hand 

the difficult and challenging circumstances governments 

face. It helped me understand why radiation portal monitors 

are put up at border crossings and why we are trying to help 

countries secure their borders. Because of this experience, 

I have a very real image in my mind of the sorts of borders 

we’re talking about.”

Other Fellows shared that the NGFP orientation had its own 

impactful moments, exposing them to nonproliferation at 

the intersection of science and policy. Lance Garrison cited 

the mock Congressional hearings held at PNNL. “Teams of 

Fellows represented different NNSA offices whose budgets 

were being reviewed by ‘Congress’—a panel of subject 

matter experts acting this part. Fellows had to defend why 

their offices should be funded and why others should not. 

Fellows teamed to present and strategize presentations. This 

is completely out of the realm of what I’ve seen scientists do 

and what I have done in the past.”

Elizabeth Lostracco also found the social skills training 

Fellows completed in the orientation to be insightful. “These 

skills are transferable and interesting from a psychological 

point of view.”

Strangest place you’ve had a cup of coffee?

Not surprisingly, Fellows’ worldly travels have led them to 

coffee breaks in some interesting places—and there are 

probably many more to come.

Garrison has been attending meetings on behalf of his 

office and reports drinking coffee at the U.S. Congressional 

breakfast seminar. “There are lots of well-known people to 

present and listen to what is presented. It’s interesting to be 

in that audience and listen to those discussions.” 

Ty Otto said, “I was on the U.S. Rowing team (Under 23 

National), and we visited Belarus. We stayed in a former 

asylum that was converted to a resort. Having coffee in that 

restaurant in that location was strange!”

DNN Expert Profile – Continued

During their orientation in summer, DNN Fellows Ben Briese and Tom Gray (middle) 

tour the B Reactor, the world’s first full-scale production reactor on the Hanford Site in 

southeastern Washington State.
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Briese reported having coffee in Iraq. “It is a strange place 

now because the place I was having coffee is now part of 

the Islamic state.”

Kaitlin Oujo related the times 

she had coffee on the West 

Bank where she was helping 

women become more active 

in local politics. “I had coffee 

with women who ran for 

office in local government 

elections. Once they were 

elected, we worked with the 

women to help prepare them for their public service.”

But few can outdo Tom Gray’s coffee break location—

aboard a U.S. Navy submarine underway beneath the ocean 

surface.

Memorable read (or listen)? 

While their free time as 

graduate students and 

Fellows may be scarce, 

Fellows still find time to read 

(or listen in) and shared the 

eclectic mix of titles on their 

nightstands or podcast 

playlist. 

Sarah Norris read Demons by Fyodor Mikhailovich 

Dostoyevsky. “It’s a late 1800s novel that shows duality of 

the Russian psyche.”

Jason Portner reads during his long commutes to work. The 

Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck left a deep impression. 

“I hadn’t read much before on the human element during 

the Depression...it’s one of the most powerful pieces of 

American literature I’ve read.”

Wellington enjoyed Yes, Please by Amy Poehler. She also 

continues her read of a more substantial work, Three 

Kingdoms, a historical novel about a Chinese strategist 

by Luo Guanzhong. “The person who recommended the 

book thought I would relate because I was a strategist. I 

had an undergrad class on Chinese history class, so this 

is fascinating reading. I am working my way through the 

second of three volumes.” 

Gray and Briese both 

read Command and 

Control by Eric Schlosser. 

Gray said, “This is about 

nuclear close calls. 

A good investigative 

journalist [like Schlosser] 

transforms a potentially 

dry topic to a pageturner.” Briese said the 

book “communicates 

the importance and not 

always rosy history of 

nuclear security. It helped 

me conceptualize the 

issue. It’s part of what 

made me want to be 

more involved in the 

field and apply for this 

fellowship.”

Andrew Cartas found a book from NGFP orientation 

particularly valuable, Building Relationship Versatility: Social 

Styles at Work. He also read Emotional Intelligence: Why It 

Can Matter More than IQ, by Daniel Goleman, with great 

interest. “It’s eye-opening. It helps the reader think about 

intelligence differently.” 

Garrison found the podcast series Hardcore History by Don 

Carlin impactful. He particularly noted the episode “Logical 

Insanity,” which discussed the context for dropping the 

bomb on Japan.

Bonnie Canion is also a fan of podcasts. One of the most 

impressive podcasts for her in the last year is “Invisibilia.” 

It reveals the invisible concepts we confront every day—

gender, fear, power— that expectations have on a person. 

She also likes National Public Radio Radiolab—particularly 

the “Emergence episode,” which explores behaviors in 

nature and how order comes out of disordered situations. 

Looking forward

The Fellows will continue in their assignments through 

June 2016. A packed schedule lies ahead of them, filled 

with training, networking, and professional development 

as they grow as future leaders for the nuclear security and 

nonproliferation enterprise. The DNN Sentinel will continue 

to follow their progress and share the impactful contributions 

they make to DNN’s program offices.

DNN Expert Profile – Continued

Photo by Deborah Mioduszewski

Photo by Deborah Mioduszewski

Other Favorite 

Pastimes

It’s not all reading and 

working for the Fellows; 

several also find time to 

indulge social media, 

following journalists 

and think tank experts 

on Twitter, and stream 

popular television 

shows such as “Curb 

Your Enthusiasm,” 

“Broad City,” “True 

Detective,” “Major 

Crimes,” “The Wire,” 

“The Daily Show,” 

“Darker than Black,” 

“My Strange Addiction,” 

and “West Wing.”