Ashley Golden, 39, Senior Director ORISE Health Studies, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)
Ashley Golden promotes science and education in her work and in her community efforts. At ORAU, her projects focus on radiation health effects, occupational exposure and worker health. She’s also a subject matter expert for epidemiologic studies.
Locally, she’s involved with the Tennessee Science Bowl and works as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Through these efforts and more, Golden is building her career and Knoxville’s love for science.
When you reflect on your career so far, which achievement stands out most?
In 2023, I was elected by the Radiation Research Society (RRS) membership as Councilor for Epidemiology on the board of this premier professional society. I am unbelievably honored that my colleagues, many of whom are much more senior in our field, elected me over other outstanding scientists. I was told by numerous colleagues that they supported me to bring “new and innovative ideas” to the board. I was also selected as a U.S. representative to the International Association of Radiation Research. Earning the respect and support of my colleagues across the entire RRS was truly an achievement.
What will you focus on in 2025?
At this mid-stage of my career, I realize how important it is to help others develop along their professional path. In 2025, I hope to find additional opportunities to commit my time and effort to mentorship.
What is your biggest professional dream?
My dream is to leave everything better than I found it! Whether that is the state of the program I am currently running, the people I’m leading or the organizations I serve. A positive, and hopefully memorable, impact in all of these areas would be my definition of ultimate success.
What mistake did you learn the most from?
I’ve learned to take a breath and sleep on it! Too many times I’ve allowed myself to react too quickly to a situation, resulting in a less-than-optimal outcome. This is the kind of thing that takes time and “learning the hard way” to overcome. It’s still a struggle to not want to jump in and fix or correct things immediately, but I’ve found that if I wait on it a bit, there is usually a better solution.
What motivates you?
I am internally motivated to give 110% no matter what. But this becomes significantly easier to do when you believe in the impact and can see the good that results. I am blessed to work at an organization that values service, and the specific mission of my work to protect workers from harmful health effects is truly inspiring. I am also inspired every day by my work family.
What is the most overrated piece of business advice you’ve heard?
I’m not a fan of “think outside the box.” Innovation and creativity happen on a continuum, and important improvements can be relatively minor but still very impactful. I encourage my team to “be curious” and to challenge the status quo with a goal of always seeking continuous improvements.
What trait do you most want in a co-worker?
Honesty and integrity are the most important traits to me. Issues arise and mistakes happen. But if you are upfront about them, almost anything can be fixed.
What about Knoxville would you like to improve?
Knoxville is a wonderful and caring community, yet there still exist disparities in access to education and health care. I would like to improve the engagement of Knoxvillians with the many incredible charitable organizations across our community, like the Free Medical Clinic and the United Way, that are committed to addressing these disparities. We all have something to give, whether that is our time or our treasure. We see it when there are disasters like the recent floods, but what if helping others was an everyday activity?
What don’t people know about you?
Growing up, I wanted to be a medical examiner like the character Kay Scarpetta in the Patricia Cornwell books (this was way before “CSI”)! I loved the combination of detective-solving crimes using medicine/science. Fortunately, I found epidemiology, which is actually similar, but without having to work with dead bodies. We collect evidence of exposure to understand what caused a disease/health condition. I still love reading murder-mysteries and, yes, watching forensics shows!
- Family: David Golden, husband; Ronnie and JoAnn Pedigo, parents; all of my work family at ORAU, but especially the ORISE Health Studies team
- Years at current company: 12
- Degrees and certificatons: Ph.D. in comparative & experimental medicine with a concentration in epidemiology; master’s in food science and technology; bachelor’s in food science and technology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
- Community involvement: 2023 to present: Vice chair of the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge Executive Board. 2021 to present: Moderator of the ORISE National Post-Doc Week Symposium. 2020 to present: Volunteer, including moderator and civility judge, of the Tennessee Science Bowl. Past involvement: Member of the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge Executive Board, volunteer and scheduling committee of the Oak Ridge Secret City Festival, fundraising committee volunteer of the Leadership Oak Ridge, Vol-to-Vol mentor for University of Tennessee Networking Neyland.
– Keenan Thomas
This post was originally published on here
