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What is your proudest accomplishment while working at NNSA?
I helped draft the legislation that gave the Secretary the authority to mitigate threats from unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The legislation was passed in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, and we are working to further expand it this year. The authority is now more important than ever, as we begin to implement counter-UAS systems across our sites, and I am proud to have played a small part in making it happen!
Tell us something interesting about yourself.
I once had breakfast in Bali, lunch in Istanbul, and dinner in Singapore. On a whirlwind trip through Southeast Asia, I stayed up all night on New Year’s Eve in Bali; took a flight to Istanbul in the morning; spent 7 hours on a layover in the city center at the Grand Bazaar and the Blue Mosque; and then met a college friend for dinner in Singapore, before arriving back home in Chicago, where I was living at the time. It was a day!
Do you have any highlights from your time supporting NNSA?
I received the Secretary’s Achievement Award both in 2019 and in 2023 for my handling of the legal matters on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Denuclearization Team and my legal counsel for the Mo-99 program, respectively. In 2022-23, I also received three Special Outstanding Achievement Rewards for my work with the Office of Nuclear Incident Response, my work for Defense Programs, and for my co-management of the Legal Internship program. Finally, I received an Achievement Award for my contributions to the stockpile stewardship program.
What advice would you have for anyone interested in a career in nuclear security?
Keep an open mind and expose yourself to as many different aspects of the field as possible. Talk to subject matter experts and read, read, read! There’s so much information available to help you determine what specifically is of interest to you.
Who is someone that inspires you and why?
Hedy Lamarr is truly a muse! She was a glamorous Austrian-American actress during Hollywood’s Golden age, and who also happened to be a genius inventor. I am so inspired by her because she had an amazing mind, which was often overshadowed by her beauty, but she proved herself and really stood apart from women of her time. She helped create a frequency hopping communication system to help guide torpedoes to their targets during WWII. She was the pioneer for the technology that forms the basis for today’s WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems.
How do you plan to celebrate/commemorate Women’s History Month?
I’m a mom to two little girls, 4 and 8 years old, and there are some great events in the city I am planning to attend with them. We will also also read the “Rebel Girls” books, a series that they love, which highlights extraordinary women from the past and present that have achieved amazing things.