Sandia LabNews

‘Friendly’ EMP improves survival for electronics

An EMP emitted by a nuclear weapon exploded high above the U.S. could disable the electronic circuits of many devices vital to military defense and modern living. Fortunately, military equipment is designed to be immune to various levels of EMP, and the validity of those designs has been tested and improved by a “friendly” EMP generator at Sandia.

‘Research Club’ enhances research culture and capabilities

Sandia Fellow Kathy Simonson has started a "Research Club" to help Sandia researchers better prepare Laboratory Directed Research and Development ideas and proposals. Having reviewed hundreds of research proposals during her career, Kathy noticed many of the same issues kept cropping up in weaker proposals, which gave her the idea.

Sandia researchers win five R&D 100 awards

Sandia inventions and co-inventions have captured five R&D 100 Awards for 2018. Competitors for the awards include an international pool of universities, corporations and government labs, and the sole criterion for winning is “demonstrable technological significance compared with competing products and technologies.” Since 1976, Sandia has earned a total of 124 awards. Read more to learn about this year's winners.

Sandia helps provide water data for secure energy supply

Electricity powers nearly two-thirds of all cooking in U.S. homes and most of us don't think about how much water it takes to produce that energy, but Sandia's Vince Tidwell does. His work focuses on the unique relationship between energy production and water use, referred to as the energy-water nexus, and he’s helped to map water availability, cost and use data for power plants.

New computing center opens for business – ASTRA supercomputing business, that is

On Nov. 28, Sandia held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the official opening of the newly built facility to house its Astra supercomputer. The LEED gold-certified building features a 30-foot-high ceiling and is long and wide enough to house a basketball game and a crowd of spectators.

Mayor Keller talks ‘One Albuquerque’

Albuquerque faces a diverse set of problems, including discouraging crime rates, economic struggles, and young talent leaving the state, and many will need the big-picture, analytical solutions for which Sandia’s workforce is known, Mayor Tim Keller told attendees at Sandia's November Community Engagement Speaker Series event. Keller spoke about the challenges and outlined his strategies for moving the community forward.

Full STEAM ahead

It isn’t even 2019 yet, but Sandia has already kicked off a new year of supporting science in elementary schools. The first Family STEAM Night at Sankofa Elementary in Oakland, California, featured a carnival theme that attracted dozens of students and their parents.

Support group aims to curb fears of discussing addiction

Sandia consequence assessor Theresa Rolfe started the Family and Friends of Addicts Support Group at Sandia to give employees a place to share what they’re going through. She started the group after feeling alone while she struggled with her son's heroin addiction. She got help from support groups and now wants to help others.