The Office of Research Services (ORS) is comprised of a diverse portfolio of services that support the NIH mission. In this section - I AM ORS, we showcase the exceptional employees behind these vital programs.
Sidni Moore, Health Physicist
Sidni Moore is a Health Physicist for the Division of Radiation Safety (DRS) managing its Dosimetry program. NIH staff, who work with radioactive material and depending on the activity, sometimes use dosimetry. Sidni is responsible for determining whether an individual requires use of a dosimetry, while working with hazardous material. She reviews requests via a Dosimetry form (DF), and if warranted, provides a monitor to submitter. Sidni also oversees several groups in the Dosimetry program helping to maintain area monitors and to monitor staff exposure making sure they are not overexposed to radioactive material, as they perform duties. Sidni enjoys using her experience working with programs to suggest and execute improvements to DRS processes. Fairly new to the NIH, she has been a member of ORS for 10 months.
Prior to joining ORS, Sidni worked as a Relaunch Control Technician at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia. In this role, she often worked closely with health physicists, which caused her to develop an interest in the field. Overall, Sidni says she loves being a health physicist and enjoys when people not familiar with the field ask about her occupation. She says this gives the opportunity to educate others about the health physics field. "People don't know that we exist so I'm like, 'hey' that's one more person that knows about this field and one more person that is aware that there are people here to protect you from radiation."
Furthermore, Sidni is a member of the Health Physics Society. She wants to see more people of her age join the field. "There is more room for growth. With a lot of people retiring, the job market is available," Sidni said. She is a part of several committees within the Health Physics Society, including the science support committee, where Sidni supports efforts to introduce and bring in more minority students to the field.
Originally from North Carolina, Sidni along with her younger sister moved to the Washington, DC area to remain close to their older sister. The three sisters are very close, even living in the same neighborhood. In her spare time, Sidni likes traveling, gaming and attending art and cooking classes.
Jordan Southers, Director of Emergency Management
Jordan Southers is the Director of the Division of Emergency Management, Office of Research Services. He is responsible for emergency management and continuity of operations at the NIH. This includes meeting with NIH institutes and centers and NIH fire and police departments. His division handles occasional fires, flooding and other campus emergencies, and supports NIH research continuity, such as making sure lab freezers have power.
Jordan has worked at the NIH for over 10 years since 2006 when he began as a Pathways intern. He originally attended undergrad to pursue a degree in criminal justice, however Jordan developed an interest in emergency management.
Jordan is constantly keeping abreast with policies and operational changes and strategizing how to make these processes work at the NIH. Once a month, Jordan attends meetings with other operation continuity staff from FDA, CDC and other organizations to discuss and receive important updates. Emergency management processes are driven by executive orders and departmental policies from outside agencies, such as FEMA.
Jordan enjoys his role in leadership because it gives him the opportunity to perform unique duties every day. "You think you have a day planned out, then something comes up or something happens, and you get to do something completely different than what you thought you would be doing for the day, so that keeps you on your toes," he says.
Jordan enjoys watching hockey and spending time with his wife and two-year-old. He attended the University of Maryland and was born in Washington, DC and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Rodney Hall, Audiovisual Engineer
Rodney Hall is an Audiovisual engineer with the Events Management Branch. As an Audiovisual engineer, he manages multiple responsibilities and tasks, such as overseeing the installation, upgrades, maintenance and operation of all AV equipment in all ORS spaces. Rodney also serves as the primary technical advisor for Continuity of Operations (COOP) conference facilities, where he leads efforts to transition to unified communications with the workforce, including implementing new technology, and integrating unified communications into conference facilities. Among these and other responsibilities, he also services, maintains, repairs, and operates all Audio-Visual systems within the conference spaces.
Rodney has a background in the Navy and has worked at the NIH for one year. He says he loves the challenges of his role. In his field, technology is always changing and adapting to meet the needs of today. In today's environment (COVID), Rodney says he uses his knowledge to help NIH meet that challenge. With the growing need for social distancing and virtual technology, Rodney aims to make life as easy and as normal as possible.
When he is away from work, Rodney enjoys spending time with his wife, playing golf and going hunting. He is a big college football fan but likes watching any sport. Rodney is originally from Newark, New Jersey and has spent time living in Chicago, Rhode Island and Virginia.
