The office works to create an environment where all individuals are welcomed, respected, and valued for their diverse perspectives. Before his current role, Blackburn managed university programs and DOE internships in the Lab’s Office of Educational Programs, overseeing a $4.3 million budget to design and implement workforce development initiatives for undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty.

Since joining Brookhaven in 1999, Blackburn has played a pivotal role in establishing and strengthening connections with over 75 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs). He developed programs such as InCREASE to provide greater access to Brookhaven and other DOE national laboratories for underrepresented groups. An engineer by training, Blackburn initially worked on environmental remediation projects before transitioning to STEM education and DEIA programs.

Blackburn recently earned an Advanced Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He had previously earned a Bachelors in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Environmental Engineering from CUNY-City College of New York.