ORISE announces winners of 2025 Future of Science Awards

ORISE announces winners of 2025 Future of Science Awards

Oak Ridge, Tenn.—The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Future of Science Awards.

The awardees were unveiled during a virtual ceremony held on Aug. 28, 2025, as part of the inaugural ORISE Symposium — a three-day event that celebrated scientific learning, innovation and collaboration.

Presented annually since 2022, the Future of Science Awards recognize excellence by ORISE program participants in the areas of scientific achievement, professional growth, project contributions and leadership. The awards also honor exceptional mentors who have played a pivotal role in guiding and inspiring ORISE participants.

Honorees are recognized in four categories: undergraduate student and post-baccalaureate, graduate student and post-master’s, postdoctoral, and mentor. Each participant winner receives a $1,000 prize, while all winners — including the mentor awardee — receive an award plaque and formal recognition from ORISE.

Undergraduate Student and Post-Baccalaureate Award Winner
Janou Milligan
Program: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Education Collaboration Program
Most Recent University: Georgia State University
Nominated by Fred Dolislager, mentor

Janou Milligan
Janou Milligan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Georgia State University, gaining experience in software engineering, computer information systems, networking and cybersecurity, with a primary focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning. From August 2024 to December 2024, he participated in the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), followed by the Education Collaboration (ECO) program from December 2024 to August 2025. With the Environmental Risk and Energy Analysis group, Janou developed exposure models, utilized databases and programmed routines that support environmental risk assessment information systems sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. In parallel, he collaborated with ORNL’s Advanced Plant Phenotyping Laboratory (APPL) to design deep learning models for image, multivariate and time-series data analysis, enhancing APPL’s phenotyping capabilities in support of the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI). His contributions have led to in-development publications, including a technical memorandum and a research paper, and he earned recognition through a 2025 Biosciences Division Distinguished Achievement Award. Going forward, Janou will begin his studies for a doctoral degree in data science and engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, under the Bredesen Center, continuing to work with APPL and CBI while exploring innovative applications of AI in plant science and other biosciences.

Graduate Student and Post-Master’s Award Winner
Margaret Costello
Program: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
University: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Nominated by Jennifer McClure, Ph.D., mentor

Margaret Costello
Margaret Costello is pursuing a doctoral degree while participating as an ORISE graduate fellow with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dairy Forage Research Center, mentored by Hilario Mantovani, Ph.D., and Jennifer McClure, Ph.D. Her doctoral research focuses on the dairy cow gastrointestinal microbiome, particularly the development of scalable, non-invasive sampling and processing techniques. She is optimizing methods, such as buccal swabs and DNA preservation approaches, to provide a cost-effective, less labor-intensive alternative to traditional rumen sampling. By advancing unbiased and safe DNA extraction protocols, her goal is to generate microbial data that can be more readily integrated into animal breeding and management strategies. Her research also incorporates long-read metagenomic sequencing to characterize the functional potential of microbial populations, with a special focus on traits connected to sustainability, including reducing methane emissions and improving feed efficiency. Through this interdisciplinary approach, Margaret seeks to bridge microbiome research with practical applications that benefit both producers and the environment. Outside of her research, Margaret enjoys spending time with her beagle and crocheting.

Postdoctoral Award Winner
Kerri Miazgowicz, Ph.D.
Program: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Most Recent University: University of Georgia
Nominated by Amanda Calvert, Ph.D., mentor

Kerri Miazgowicz
Kerri Miazgowicz, Ph.D., recently completed an ORISE fellowship with the Virology Team of the Arborial Disease Branch of the Division of Vector-borne Diseases, located within the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Her research is focused on developing novel diagnostic reagents and assays for the detection of arboviral infections. This includes the generation and implementation of the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) system in-house to produce chimeric viruses to develop safer and faster neutralization tests, which require the use of live infectious viruses. In parallel, her research also involves the generation of hybridoma cells and recombinant mammalian cells to produce novel antibodies used to detect emerging and reemerging arboviruses in diagnostic assays. Kerri will be starting a new fellowship opportunity with the Association of Public Health Laboratories hosted at the North Carolina State Public Health Lab.

Mentor Award Winner
Shuang Cui, Ph.D.
Program: U.S. Department of Energy Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Program
Nominated by Bernadette Magalindan, IBUILD fellow

Shuang Cui
Shuang Cui, Ph.D., is an assistant professor and Eugene McDermott distinguished fellow in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas). She also holds a joint faculty appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Cui received her doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, San Diego. Her research focuses on developing advanced materials and systems for energy storage, water harvesting and thermoregulation. Cui has received multiple prestigious honors, including the Recognition of Outstanding Achievement in Research Award from UT Dallas, the President’s Award for Exceptional Performance from NREL, and Best Reviewer Award from American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers. She has been featured by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Women @Energy: STEM Rising and was an invited participant at the Asian Deans’ Forum – The Rising Stars Women in Engineering Workshop in Korea (2019) as well as the 2019 U.S. C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium. She actively mentors students through the DOE Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Program, DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Program and DOE Jump into STEM competition.

Visit the ORISE Future of Science Awards webpage:
https://orise.orau.gov/news/archive/2025/orise-announces-winners-of-future-of-science-awards.html
for more information, including photos of each winner, a video of the event and videos with statements from the winners.

About ORISE

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is a U.S. Department of Energy asset that is dedicated to enabling critical scientific, research and health initiatives of the department and its laboratory system by providing world-class expertise in STEM workforce development, scientific and technical reviews, and the evaluation of radiation exposure and environmental contamination. ORISE is managed by ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and federal contractor, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science

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