DOE Distinguished Mentor Award for Workforce Development Awardees
The inaugural 2025 awardees are:
Science and Technology Mentor Category
| Awardee | Title/Division | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Leah Jacklyn Broussard | Research Scientist, Physics Division | Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
| Michael Jensen | Group Leader, Environmental Science and Technologies Department | Brookhaven National Laboratory |
| Quin Miller | Research Scientist, Energy & Critical Materials | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
Technical Mentor Category
| Awardee |
Title/Division |
Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Penny McKenzie | Cyber Security Engineer, National Security Directorate | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
Established in 2025 by the Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS), this annual honor recognizes the vital role scientific and technical mentors play in cultivating the next generation of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. Each recipient will receive a $10,000 award to be used for research and mentoring-related development.
For over 60 years, DOE has provided training opportunities for future scientists, engineers, and technical professionals to support DOE’s mission to advance energy, economic, and national security of the United States.
DOE’s 17 National Laboratories provide a unique opportunity for STEM workforce development, offering access to world-leading expertise, scientific User Facilities and instrumentation, and multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research teams and programs generally not available in universities or industry. This award formally recognizes dedicated professionals for outstanding contributions to workforce development across the 17 National Laboratories. Selected through a rigorous merit review process, this year’s awardees exemplify excellence in guiding future scientists, engineers, and technical professionals through the unique, multidisciplinary research environments only found within the DOE National Laboratory complex.
