SRNL Partners with University of Georgia Research Institute Scholars’ Program to Initiate Mentorship Program
SRNL is partnering with the University of Georgia’s Research Institute Scholars’ Program to initiate an inaugural mentorship program for students within its Center for International Trade and Security.
Lauren Jackson, deputy program manager for the Export Control Review, Compliance, and Interdiction program at SRNL, will serve as the collaborating scientist and mentor UGA graduate student Kaley Walker during the 2024-2025 academic school year.
The program will guide Walker in learning more about national security and export control policy.
“Kaley and I share a very similar educational background, so I’m looking forward to working with her,” Jackson said. “She’s getting her degree in international policy, and this will give her real world experience that will help her in her future career, and as a benefit for me, [Kaley] will provide her time each week to projects that I direct, and that could be helpful background research for some of those projects.”
“I look forward to having Lauren, as a successful National Security Analyst, inform my options as I embark on the job market,” Walker said. “She has served as an analyst and consultant in the federal government, in the private sector, and now in a national lab, so I’m excited to learn more from her about the differences and challenges between each work environment. Regardless of the project focus, this experience with SRNL will enable me to enter my early career with a well-rounded, first-hand understanding of the responsibilities and goals of each industry.”
University of Georgia graduate student Kayley Walker.
Director of the UGA CITS Justin Conrad is also anticipating great outcomes for the partnership.
“This collaboration is really a natural evolution of our ongoing work with SRNL, which has included supporting the lab on global security and environmental management issues,” Conrad said. “Our students have been critical components of these projects, and so it’s great to formalize our student support through the UGARI Scholars Program. The more that we collaborate with engaged staff at the lab, like Lauren Jackson, the more our students benefit.”