Building a medical-isotope producing reactor

Eden Radioisotopes LLC, a New Mexico company, secured funding this year and located 240 acres of land in the southeastern corner of the state to build a small reactor that exclusively will produce medical isotopes. The concept was developed and licensed by Sandia, and the effort, in partnership with Eden, earned a regional Excellence in Technology Transfer Award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium.

Internships fuel research for Puerto Rico engineering students

The NNSA-sponsored Consortium for Integrating Energy Systems in Engineering and Science Education internship program connects engineering students from five Hispanic-serving institutions, including UPRM, with research at Sandia and the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Power plants get watered down

Electricity production is one of the industries that uses the most water in the country each day. Sandia researchers are helping the largest power plant in the U.S. identify the most efficient and cost-effective strategies to reduce water use. They have developed a first-of-its-kind comprehensive system dynamics analysis that can show power plants which wet cooling systems can save them money.

State of the Labs

Labs Director Steve Younger gave his annual State of the Labs address on Oct. 30, encouraging Sandians to pause and think about what we’ve accomplished and where Sandia is headed. He described numerous accomplishments and praised Labs employees for taking intellectual leadership in defining the future of nuclear deterrence.

New wind technology breathes life into turbine siting

Sandia researchers Chris Kelley and David Maniaci and former Sandian Brian R. Resor have developed a wind turbine blade design that would allow for the closer placement of turbines, thanks to a faster dissipating wake.

Two Sandians honored at annual SWE awards

Sandia scientists Blythe Clark and Karen Devine were honored at the 2019 Society of Women Engineers awards ceremony in Anaheim, California. The annual event recognizes “the successes of individuals who enhance the engineering profession and advocate for women in engineering through contributions to industry, education and the community.”

Tracy Vogler named APS Fellow

Tracy Vogler has been elected Fellow of the American Physical Society by the organization’s Topical Group on Shock Compression of Condensed Matter. He was recognized for “landmark contributions to the basic understanding of shock propagation in metals, ceramics and granular materials; for sustained service to the APS Topical Group on Shock Compression of Condensed Matter; and for leadership in the science community.”

Sandia teaches undergrads a lesson or two about cybersecurity

Hundreds of cybersecurity professionals and college students gathered around the country Nov. 16 for a day of cyber wargames. The event, DOE’s roughly annual CyberForce Competition, was created to teach and inspire the next generation of cybersecurity professionals by giving them an opportunity to apply their skills against realistic problems. In its second year as host, Sandia worked with 10 teams in this year's event.

DNA science reveals hidden family connection

Sandia scientist Don Bender got the surprise of his life when he took a commercial DNA test last year and learned that he had a sister. Don and his sister met and learned that they had many similarities, including both earning science degrees from MIT.