Bio
Laurie serves the Office of Research Excellence as the Early Career Programs Specialist. She helps design, implement, and evaluate professional development programs to benefit ORNL fellowship program participants, postdocs, and other early career staff; supports the Oak Ridge Postdoctoral Association Executive Committee with business and communications planning and implementation; facilitates the laboratory’s Nature Masterclasses training resource and Your Science in a Nutshell competition; manages program evaluation, including data collection/analysis and metrics reporting; collaborates with laboratory stakeholders to develop early career program policies and procedures; oversees websites related to ORNL resources for early career staff advancement; and represents ORE and ORNL at workshops, seminars, and working groups.
While in the Communications Division (2016–2022), Laurie provided technical writing/editing and laboratory communications support to numerous customers including the Neutron Sciences Directorate National Security Sciences Directorate, Radioisotope Science and Technology Division, Exascale Computing Project, Technology Transfer Office, Diversity and International Office, and Office of Research Excellence. She edited the ORNL Review, including managing the technical editing and public release review processes for the technical section since its inception. She has co-authored a book chapter with scientists in the Geospatial Science and Human Security Division and has written news articles on quantum information science research and researcher profiles.
Laurie joined ORNL in December 2016. She worked for 9 years previously in industry, including 5.5 years in Washington, DC, for consulting firms serving the federal government that included a woman-owned business and a minority-owned business. In Knoxville/Oak Ridge, in addition to ORNL, Laurie has worked for a university research organization, academic presses, and an engineering consulting firm serving the state of Tennessee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism/public relations from the University of Maryland at College Park and a master’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee–Knoxville. She held a Q clearance, 2019–2021 (eligible to reactivate).