Sandia LabNews

Four Sandia leaders honored among 40 Under Forty

Amid the challenges New Mexico is facing, 40 outstanding young professionals are bringing enormous optimism to the state — and four Sandia leaders are a part of that cohort. Jim Cleary, Emily Gaffney, Bernadette Gallegos and Johnathon Huff have joined the ranks of Albuquerque Business First’s 40 Under Forty honorees, recognized for their professional achievement, leadership and the critical roles they play in the community.

Titanium imaging advances

Albuquerque-based Advanced Optical Technologies has worked with Sandia through the NMSBA to test and verify their patented Crystallographic Polarization-Classification Imaging process, which reduces time spent on metals characterization from hours to minutes. The new imaging process has applications in the aerospace, automotive, energy and medical industries and for 3D printing.

Automating complex 3D modeling

A team of researchers led by Sandia has invented a first-of-its-kind software for scientists to create accurate digital representations, or meshes, of complex objects. The new software, VoroCrust, offers a novel way to meshes used by scientists in many disciplines to create geometric models of all kinds of parts, from rotors to wheels to protective equipment.

Excellence in action

Sandia’s Laboratory Operating System program honored three teams that demonstrated lean thinking and behavior, improved operations and saved the Labs time and money in fiscal year 2019. Labs Director James S. Peery, Deputy Labs Director Dori Ellis and Business Excellence Director Joan Tafoya honored the teams at a ceremony in February, highlighting their innovations and how the teams challenged the status quo.