FLC in ABQ

Inside . . .Don Susan named a Fellow of materials society . . . . . . . . . 2California site marks 20 years of bio research . . . . . . . . . . 3

Exascale rising!

Partnerships were top of mind as more than 120 techtransfer experts from 22 federal labs in 15 states cameto Albuquerque for the 2016 Federal Laboratory Con-

sortium (FLC) Mid-Continent and Far West Regional Meet-ing. It was the first-ever FLC regional meeting in the cityand featured a talk by Jetta Wong, director of the DOEOffice of Technology Transitions (OTT).

Titled “Catalyzing Innovation Through Regional Collab-oration,” the conference held Sept. 13-15 at Hotel Albu-querque focused on growing entrepreneurs and commer-cializing technologies. The FLC is a nationwide network ofmore than 300 members that provides a forum to developstrategies and opportunities for linking laboratory missiontechnologies and expertise with the marketplace.

Keynote speaker Gary Oppedahl, the city of Albu-querque’s economic development director, said collabora-

Improved computer climate mod-els of the Earth’s clouds and moreaccurate simulations of the com-

bustion engine are goals for twoprojects led by Sandia that werefunded in the first round of grantsfrom DOE’s break-out $39.8 millionExascale Computing Project (ECP).

Sandia also will conduct research with other labora-tories on three exascale projects whose goals range fromdeveloping physics models for more efficient windenergy production to improving understanding of mate-rials at the molecular level, and simulating quantummechanical effects in materials.

The 22 projects chosen by the ECP were selected fortheir societal significance and their ability to advancethrough exascale computing.

Jackie Chen (8351) leads one of 15 fully funded pro-jects: Transforming Combustion Science and Technol-ogy with Exascale Simulations. Mark Taylor (1446), chiefcomputational scientist for DOE’s Accelerated Climate

(Continued on page 4)

WATER AND ENERGY

Glen Canyon Dam. Photo by Randy Montoya

Awide-ranging analysis of water vulnerabilityacross the Pacific — including the US, China,Russia, and Japan — has identified hundreds of

locations where energy production depends uponscarce water supplies. Read about the study by SandiansVince Tidwell and Barbie Moreland on page 5.

Regional tech transfer pros talkentrepreneurship, collaboration

By Nancy Salem

Exascale Computing Project awards$39.8 million for application developmentFirst investments made by recently formalized projectBy Neal Singer

(Continued on page 10)

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AWARDS. PAGES 6-8 ECP CAMPAIGN, OCT. 3-21. PAGE 12

SANDIA CHEMIST BernadetteHernandez-Sanchez andcyber researcher Vince Uriashonored as 2016 HENAACwinners. Story on page 9.

HENAAC WINNERS

Managed by Sandia Corporation for the National Nuclear Security Administration

Volume 68, No. 19

Sept. 30, 2016

That’s thatI read a book years ago about Skylab, the early-1970s follow-on to the

Apollo program, and some parts of it have stuck with me for decades. Skylab,the first American space station, was built around the voluminous thirdstage of a mammoth Saturn V rocket. In an Apollo lunar mission, that stagewould have provided the punch to send astronauts from Earth orbit to themoon, but in an orbital mission the third stage was not needed, so its interiorspace was fitted out like the ultimate high-tech, bus-sized RV. Three crewsrotated into Skylab for one- two- and three-month missions in 1973 and 1974.

Technically, Skylab was a great success. Astronauts proved human crewmembers could work and solve tough problems in the vacuum of space and NASAscientists and engineers learned a lot about long-duration missions, whichwould be essential knowledge for planetary exploration.

However, the program was not without its hiccups. In SkyLab 4, thethree-month mission, there was a famous crew “strike.” Here’s how Wikipediadescribes it:

“The crew’s initial task of unloading and stowing thethousands of items needed for their lengthy mission proved tobe overwhelming . . . . and the crew soon found themselvestired and behind schedule. . . . [T]he astronauts complained ofbeing pushed too hard. Ground crews disagreed; they felt thatthe astronauts were not working long enough or hard enough.”

Said Skylab 4 Commander Jerry Carr at one point, “We would never work16 hours a day for 84 straight days on the ground, and we should not beexpected to do it here in space.” Ground Control disagreed, strongly, andbasically told the crew to quit complaining and get back to work. That wasthe last straw for the three highly trained, highly motivated overachievers.

In protest, the crew literally cut off communications with Earth andspent a full day relaxing and doing things at their own pace. NASA wasn’t happybut the “strike” led to mission changes and played a big role in shaping theway NASA dealt with workload planning on subsequent human-crewed missions.

According to the Skylab book, during the post-flight debrief one ofthe program planners said the only real problems with the mission stemmedfrom “the biological interface.” That is, with the human crew members. But,of course, the “biological interface” was the whole point of the program.

* * *What brings the Skylab program to mind is a news story I read the

other day about a NASA/University of Hawaii experiment that has just come toan end. After a year in a mock-up of a Mars habitat, six volunteer crewmembers with astronaut-like qualifications emerged back to planet Earth. Andit seems that once again, there were issues with the biological interface.

The habitat was the size of a modest apartment — 1,200 square feet.More than one crew member reported that over time, the frustration of simplynever being able to get away from everyone else was almost unbearable.

“One of your biggest enemies is boredom,” said German physicist andcrew member Christiane Heinicke.

“The other big enemies, of course, are the rest of the crew,” she saidwith a laugh. But clearly, it was a laugh with an edge. Asked if she plannedto keep in touch with her crewmates now that the mission was over, Heinickereplied carefully, “Um, well, three of them I’m definitely going to stay invery close contact with.”

Sounds like the way I feel after a big family reunion at Thanksgiving,although I might not go so far as to say “three.”

NASA has announced its intention to land a human crew on Mars as earlyas 2030 — just 14 years away — an ambitious goal. As in all forward-lookingresearch programs, NASA’s Mars teams will be breaking a lot of new ground.Among key unknowns: How well can a crew function for months at a time in areal Martian outpost? Because of the Mars habitat experiment, some of thehuman issues are more clearly understood now. Thanks to those volunteer“astronauts,” planners for upcoming Mars missions have a better handle onthat pesky biological interface.

And maybe they’ll take to heart a lesson that goes all the way back toSkylab: Whatever else they do, planners need to make sure to include BIGwindows. By far the favorite pastime of all nine astronauts who flew Skylabmissions was to gaze out the window, looking down on their home planet and —surely — contemplating their place in the scheme of things.

See you next time.— Bill Murphy (MS 1468, 505-845-0845, wtmurph@sandia.gov)

The Sandia Lab News is distributed in-house to allSandia employees and on-site contractors andmailed to all Sandia retirees. It is also mailed toindividuals in industry, government, academia,nonprofit organizations, media, and private lifewho request it.

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• Active Employees: Oct. 31-Nov. 17• PreMedicare Retirees: Oct. 15-Nov. 18• Medicare Retirees: Oct. 15-Dec. 7

* * *Find out more at hbe.sandia.gov.

2017 Open Enrollment coming soon

Don Susan, a researcher in Sandia’s Metallurgy andMaterials Joining Dept. 1831, has been named a Fellowof ASM International in recognition of distinguishedcontributions to materials science and engineering.

The society’scitation says Donreceived the honor,one of the highest inthe field of materi-als, for "sustainedcontributions in theareas of physicalmetallurgy and join-ing research, mate-rials characteriza-tion, and failureanalysis."

The 22 membersof ASM’s 2016 classof Fellows will behonored at the soci-ety’s annual awards dinner Oct. 25 in Salt Lake City duringthe Materials Science & Technology 2016 conference.

“It’s a big honor for me, especially knowing the Fellowswho came before me,” Don says. “It’s a big honor to followin their footsteps.”

Don, who joined Sandia in 2000, says the award recog-nizes a broad range of work during his career. His areas ofexpertise include hermetic connector technology, tin-leadand lead-free solder metallurgy, active brazing alloys, elec-trical contact alloy metallurgy, high-strength stainlesssteels, metallography and quantitative image analysis, andfailure analysis. He is a co-inventor on work that led to apatent on glass-ceramic to metal sealing for high-tempera-ture, high-pressure applications.

“I have a lot of interests and I’m glad to be recognizedby ASM as a generalist in metallurgy,” he says.

Interest in materials science came from dadWhen Don was young, his father worked in a Honey-

well facility that made plastic film, and “I guess the mate-rials science aspect rubbed off on me, except it was met-als, not polymers,” says Don, who holds a doctorate inmaterials science and engineering from Lehigh University.

He also has worked on shape-changing alloys and wasprincipal investigator for a three-year project to createhigh-temperature shape-memory alloys. In addition, overthe years he worked on numerous teams conductingmaterials research and component evaluations to ensurethe safety, security, and reliability of the nation’s nuclearweapons stockpile.

Don recalls a project on an iron-cobalt based alloy calledHiperco that turned out to be satisfying for him and his col-leagues because they solved a problem in an unexpected way.

Hiperco had poor mechanical properties, but the teamfound a way to increase its strength by two to three timesthrough a process called Equal Channel Angular Extrusion,which extrudes a bar of metal in a way that can bedescribed as going around a corner. “We were all skepticalat first, but it works,” Don says. “This was a very satisfyingproject because it was a bit of a surprise to all of us.”

Fellows serve as advisers to ASM International to enhanceits standing as a leading organization for materials and pro-vide a resource to serve the worldwide community of mate-rials scientists and engineers in the years ahead. The societyestablished the honor in 1969 to recognize Fellows’ contri-butions and to develop a broadly based forum of technicaland professional leaders to be advisers.

ASM International was founded in 1913 as the Ameri-can Society for Metals. Today, it has more than 30,000members worldwide and is the world's largest associationof metals-centric materials scientists and engineers.

Materials society namesSandia’s Don Susan FellowBy Sue Major Holmes

DON SUSAN

SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30, 2016 • Page 3

Sandia chronicles 20 years of bioscience research

FORMER CENTER 8600 DIRECTOR Malin Young, now deputy director for Science and Technology at Pacific Northwest NationalLaboratory, current Center 8600 Director Anup Singh, and Div. 8000 VP Marianne Walck.

Acommitment to national security, enhancing part-nerships, and a strong focus on research and devel-opment were the primary themes highlighted at a

recent 20th anniversary celebration for Sandia’s biologicalsciences program. The event also commemorated the fifthyear of Sandia/California’s Applied Bioscience Laboratory.

On Tuesday, Aug. 30, Div. 8000 VP Marianne Walck andformer Center 8600 director Malin Young, now deputydirector for Science and Technology at Pacific NorthwestNational Laboratory, led the event.

Marianne highlighted the work conducted at Sandia toprovide biological solutions to critical challenges in energyand homeland security. She acknowledged the world classresearchers and thanked everyone who has been involvedin biosciences at Sandia.

“Sandia could not have done all the great things with-out the technical staff, technologists, postdocs, andstudent interns who demonstrate the talent, innovation,and determination to forge this exciting research area,”Marianne said.

“Biology’s special requirements are very different fromour nuclear weapons work. I am thankful to our missionsupport for making this new capability happen at Sandia,”she said.

Marianne read remarks by former 8000 VP Mim John,who was unable to attend the event. Mim wrote that Sandiafirst began bioscience work in the 1992-93 timeframe.

“With the end of the Cold War, our historic missionswere certain to decline,” Mim wrote. “We had started asmall effort in computational biology. At that time, thenation was taking a nuclear holiday with the fall of theSoviet Union, but we had started to see some worrisomeevents in the chemical and bioweapons world.”

During that time Sandia explored how the Californiasite could contribute to chemical and biological weaponsdefense.

Since then, the biological sciences program has grownto include some 120 researchers located in Livermore andEmeryville, California, and Albuquerque. The work is pri-marily funded by DOE, DoD, DHS, and NIH. The LaboratoryDirected Research and Development program was a majorsource of funding in the early days of bioscience work atSandia, and LDRD continues to play a significant role today.Bio funding from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency andRenewable Energy is at an all-time high. External partner-ships include multiple national laboratories and universi-ties. Inventions have led to start-up companies and licens-ing with many others.

Bioscience work is strongly aligned with Sandia’s Energyand Climate and Global Security Program ManagementUnits. Various projects support the Labs’ Nuclear Weaponsand Defense Systems & Assessments programs.

Young reminisced about joining the bio program in1999 during the microChemLab era, a Grand ChallengeLDRD project that had a distinct focus on biodefense. Bio-engineering and bioscience at Sandia soon led to researchin medical diagnostics and host-pathogen interactions.

During the mid-2000s, the program expanded intoalgae, diatom (a group of algae), and genomes-to-lifeprojects. New Mexico brought biomaterials andbioimaging strengths to the program.

Center 8600 Director Anup Singh, who first joinedSandia as a post-doc, said he looks forward to the contin-ued success of Sandia’s bio program, including new projectssuch as Co-OPTIMA (continuation of fuels and engines),agile biofoundry, and the NanoCRISPR Grand Challengeproject, which exploits new gene editing capabilities.

“Sandia will soon be in the forefront of gene editingtechnologies both in constructive applications and in coun-tering the threats enabled by gene editing,” he said. “Wehave ushered in a new era in biological engineering andSandia will continue to focus on these areas.”

By Michael Padilla • Photos by Randy Wong

CAMERON BALL (8621) demonstrates the SMART Trap toMalin Young.

ARUL VARMAN (8614) discusses his work with MarianneWalck.

DR. STEPHANIE BALL (8527), left, gets an overview from Leanne Whitmore (8623) about herwork in systems biology.

OSCAR NEGRETE (8621), left, discusses the NanoCRISPR Grand Challenge project to OliverKilian (8614).

SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30 2016 • Page 4

tion is important among the many government and pri-vate-sector groups trying to build the economy. “We’re allworking on stuff across a large spectrum,” he said. “Weneed to set up environments where it is easy to collabo-rate, communicate, and connect.”

He said technology transfer from national labs has beenstrengthened by giving business people access to scientists,engineers, and intellectual property (IP). “Tech transfer isabsolutely doable,” he said. “I encourage you to keepdoing what you’re doing and work together.”

Oppedahl, a self-described serial entrepreneur whocommercialized two Sandia technologies, said the labsshould encourage entrepreneurs. “These are people withideas who look at a situation, know there’s an opportunityto improve it, and pursue it despite obstacles,” he said.“Let’s establish an entrepreneurial mindset and try newthings. We can make it happen, make big changes, andsee growth. We can stay ahead in the world.”

IP for the marketplaceIn a panel on creating entrepreneur-friendly communi-

ties, Lisa Kuutila, chief economic development officer forthe University of New Mexico (UNM), said it takes manypeople to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem. She saidbusiness incubators, investors, skilled management, and

service providers areneeded to get baby compa-nies off the ground.

Collaboration results incritical intellectual propertyfor the marketplace, Kuu-tila said. “We work withSandia, Los Alamos, the AirForce Research Labora-tory,” she said. “Agree-ments are in place. It’s awell-oiled machine.”

Jackie Kerby Moore,manager of Technologyand Economic Develop-ment Dept. 1933, saidSandia has played a majorrole in Albuquerque’s eco-nomic development as one of the city’s biggest employers.It began in 1998 with the Sandia Science & TechnologyPark, which has grown into a 300-plus acre master-plannedbusiness community affiliated with Sandia and adjacent toKirtland Air Force Base. The park houses 42 companies andorganizations, 2,163 employees, and has created, directlyand indirectly, almost 6,600 jobs.

Sandia continued down the economic developmentroad with the New Mexico Small Business Assistance Pro-gram, which lets small companies with a technical chal-lenge work with Labs scientists and engineers; Entrepre-neurial Separation to Transfer Technology, which letsSandia employees leave the Labs to start or help expandtechnology companies; Small Business Vouchers, a DOEpilot that gives small, clean-energy companies access tonational laboratory expertise and resources; and theEntrepreneur Exploration program.

“Our goal through this program is to invigorate anentrepreneurial culture at Sandia and to inspire entrepre-neurship,” Jackie said. “We want to stimulate collaborationand commercialization.”

A suite of commercialization tools

Mary Monson, senior manager of Industry Partner-ships Dept. 1930, in a panel on the role of federal labs increating entrepreneurs and commercializing technolo-gies, said Sandia focuses on partnerships that align withthe Labs’ mission and capabilities. She said Sandia has700 active tech-transfer partnerships in the region. “Wewant to help improve the local, state, and nationaleconomies,” she said. “We have a whole suite of toolsand use all of them.”

Mary said a particular focus is allowing scientists andengineers to engage in business at levels that make themcomfortable, from training and getting a feel for entrepre-neurship all the way to leaving the Labs to start or expanda company. “We have a responsibility to the community tohelp stimulate the economy,” she said.

Joel Sikora, manager of Business Development andIP Management Dept. 1932, in a panel on federallab/university partnerships, said a longstanding Sandiapartnership with UNM through the joint Advanced Mate-rials Lab has produced 33 patents, 22 licenses, and 10R&D 100 and two FLC awards. “We have a successfulMemorandum of Understanding that defines the rolesof each partner, how we work together, and how wemanage IP,” he said. “Research partnerships are vital toeducating the next generation of scientists and engi-neers. They get access to world-class facilities, and theLabs get a top-notch student workforce.”

The conference concluded with remarks by Wong in afireside chat moderated by Jackie. Wong said EnergySecretary Ernest Moniz is a strong supporter of tech trans-fer and is engaged in the national conversation. “In 2015he wanted to up our technology transfer game andexpand and enhance the commercial impact of the DOEresearch and development portfolios,” she said. “How doyou tie those portfolios together to accelerate the com-mercialization of new technology and in so doing createmore impact?”

That question led to establishment of OTT, which wasgiven responsibility for the Technology CommercializationFund authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Both areworking to bring more lab techologies to market.

Wong urged the group to think about what’s next.“Where is the technology and what does the market need?”she said. “We want to know what’s going on and best servethe stakeholders.”

The latest Sandia Research magazine is focused on onething — people. In a follow-up to an issue earlier this yearthat highlighted Laboratory Directed Research and Develop-ment (LDRD), the Labs’ research magazine staff turned to thepeople behind that groundbreaking scientific and engineer-ing work.

Get to know 10 of the Labs’ most interesting researchers,not just their accomplishments but what makes them tick.They share their photos, backgrounds, hobbies, and passionsin research and life.

You’ll also read about the impact LDRD has on buildingthe skillset and career of a scientist or engineer. AndyMcIlroy, deputy chief technology officer and director ofResearch Strategy and Partnerships Center 1900, saysLDRD “offers people an opportunity to grow. It goes backto creativity and innovation. It gives them another wayto contribute to the scientific community and nationalsecurity. LDRD plays a key role in building and sustainingSandia’s foundations.”

Sandia’s successes start and end with its people. And in thenew Sandia Research magazine, you’ll see why.

Sandia Research magazine can be found under the newstab on the sandia.gov website. Printed copies circulate toleaders in government, academia, and business, but there area limited number available at the Labs for distribution. Pleasecontact Nancy Salem at mnsalem@sandia.gov if you’d like aprinted copy.

Sandia’s own People magazine hot off the press

The FLC was organized in 1974 and formally char-tered by the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 topromote and strengthen technology transfer (T2)nationwide. Today, more than 300 federal laborato-ries, facilities, and research centers, and their parentagencies make up the FLC community. Members of theFLC community include world-renowned scientists,engineers, inventors, entrepreneurs, academia, labora-tory personnel, and T2 professionals.

Over the years, the FLC has made great strides inproviding the tools, services, and educational resourcesthat reflect the latest science and technology legisla-tion through the most current technological platforms

of the time. Whether it be through improved commu-nications like social media, or by offering T2 strategytraining sessions through regional grass–roots efforts,the organization has always sought to create an envi-ronment that adds value to and supports the T2 effortsof its members and potential partners.

About the Federal Laboratory Consortium

FLC regions meet in Albuquerque(Continued from page 1)

TECH TRANSFER GATHERING — From left, Andy McIlroy, deputy chief technology officer and director of Research and Part-nerships Center 1900; Jackie Kerby Moore, manager of Technology and Economic Development Dept. 1933; Jetta Wong,director of the DOE Office of Technology Transitions; and Mary Monson, senior manager of Industry Partnerships Dept. 1930joined technology transfer experts from 22 federal labs at the Federal Laboratory Consortium Mid-Continent and Far WestRegional Meeting in Albuquerque. (Photo by Linda von Boetticher)

FIRESIDE CHAT — Jackie Kerby Moore, left, and Jetta Wongdiscussed DOE tech transfer programs and their impact on theeconomy at the FLC meeting. (Photo by Linda von Boetticher)

REPRESENTATIVES from federal laboratoriesin the Mid-Continent and Far West regionsgathered in Albuquerque recently for aFederal Laboratory Consortium meeting.

SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30, 2016 • Page 5

Awide-ranging analysis of water vulnerability acrossthe Pacific — including the US, China, Russia, andJapan — has identified hundreds of locations where

energy production depends upon scarce water supplies.The Sandia study, “Mapping Water Consumption for

Energy Production Around the Pacific Rim,” was publishedin Environmental Research Letters.

Prepared for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC), a regional economic forum, the first-of-its-kind

report maps out every power plant, refinery, and mine in21 Asia-Pacific economies that rely on fresh water forenergy. Simultaneously, it shows the data in context toregions at high to extreme risk of drought and dwindlingnatural water supplies.

“This is the first time we have worked on a project ofthis scale to illustrate how much fresh water is used forenergy development,” says Sandia hydrologist Vince Tidwell(6926), who co-authored the report with technologist Bar-bie Moreland (6926). “The purpose was to lay out a founda-tion to raise awareness in these economies about energy-water issues and vulnerabilities they are facing.”

The report compares demand in 10 energy sectors

where fresh water is consumed to produce energy —including thermoelectric and hydroelectric power produc-tion; coal, uranium, natural gas, and oil extraction; refin-ing of biofuels, oil, and natural gas; and production ofbiofuel feedstocks.

Among the 21 APEC economies are some of the world’sbiggest energy users, where economics, population growth,and other factors contribute to mounting water demands.The US alone has more than 1,200 thermoelectric powerplants, more than 500 refineries, and 800-plus mines.

Vince says he was surprised by the number of energyfacilities across Asia-Pacific economies in locations facingwater risk. The study identified 32 percent of the 2,511watersheds consuming fresh water for energy are also char-

acterized as being at high to extreme risk of running out offresh water. For six of the economies, watersheds at riskrepresented half or more of all basins consuming water forenergy.

“Where we have energy growth and demand in regionswith high or extreme water risk, we start to worry. Ourhope is the hard data in this publication will get people topay attention,” Vince says.

APEC’s Energy Working Group recently established anEnergy Resilience Task Force co-chaired by DOE for the USand the Philippines. One major work stream under thisnew task force is to address energy-water nexus challenges.This Sandia report helps develop a baseline understandingof challenges across the APEC region so additional activitiesmay be developed.

The study also supports DOE’s Water-Energy Nexus pro-gram, generated from the 2014 report, The Water-EnergyNexus: Challenges and Opportunities, outlining the inter-dependence between energy and water. It was funded forAPEC by DOE’s Office of International Affairs.

Sandia based the Asia-Pacific study on its decades ofexperience analyzing water data and developing watermodels, along with expert research in water technologyand development. Sandia’s core mission to solve complexnational security problems includes safeguarding resilientand sustainable energy-water systems.

Fresh water for energy

Study maps water-energy dependence in Pacific RimBy Rebecca Brock

“Where we have energy growth anddemand in regions with high orextreme water risk, we start to worry.Our hope is the hard data in this publi-cation will get people to pay attention.”

— Sandia researcher Vince Tidwell

PERCENT WATER CONSUMPTION by energy sector in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region. In total, 38.9billion cubic meters per year of water was consumed by the energy sector across the APEC economies (excludinghydropower). As the chart above shows, thermoelectric power generation was by far the largest consumer of water at19.0 Bm3 yr−1 or 49 percent of consumption. In thermoelectric power generation fresh water is consumed in theprocess of cooling steam back to liquid water. (Image credit: Sandia National Laboratories)

A NEW REPORT from Sandia maps fresh water forenergy consumption in context with economies fac-ing extreme water risk.

Sandia’s Employee Recognition Awards are pre-sented to individual employees and teams nomi-nated by their peers and chosen by a divisionselection committee with final approval by thedivision VP for their accomplishments during thepast year. ERA awards underscore the importanceplaced on individual and team contributions toSandia mission success. ERA categories include,for individuals, exceptional service, leadership,technical excellence, safety, and Sandia values,ethics, and integrity. Teamwork awards recognizetechnical, administrative, and support accom-plishments and team safety accomplishments.

Sandia this year recognizes 42 individuals and82 teams for their outstanding contributions tomission success.

42 individuals, 82 teams

Division 1000Division 1000 Non-NRTL Assessment Coordinationand Inspection Team

This team completed over 5,300 equipment inspection entriesfor non-NRTL equipment from May to December 2.HERMES III Source Region Effects Experiment Team

In recognition of outstanding teamwork during the planning,setup, and execution of first-of-a-kind experiments on HERMESIII.SPRF/CX Thermal Titanium Critical ExperimentTeam

The team developed an innovative critical experiment withtitanium to improve criticality safety analyses for spent fuel pro-cessing to improve safety, while reducing processing costs.Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) Full-Physics Devel-opment and Implementation Team

For the development and implementation of forward model-ing and adjoint gradients for visco-anisotropic physics.Enceladus: Quantum Computer BenchmarkingTeam

For ground-breaking research developing and applyingmethodologies for benchmarking novel computer technologyagainst conventional classical computers, including an evalua-tion of the D-Wave 2 computer.Dropkinson Bar Development Team

Invented a new “Dropkinson bar” apparatus for intermediate-rate mechanical testing that advances in-depth understanding ofmaterial behavior under a broader range of mechanicalenvironments.B61-12 JT61AE-Impact1 Radiography

Delivery of technical basis to inform proper assembly as wellas post-test hazard condition of hi-fidelity test units.Discovery of Metallic Hydrogen Under Compression Team

Groundbreaking Discovery of an Abrupt Transition of Hydrogen from an Insulatorto a Metal at High Pressure, as First Hypothesized in 1935.Sierra Diagnostics Development Team

Design, Development, and Fielding of a New Suite of Diagnostics on Z (APE, SOPI,CVDs) in Support of External Customer Requests for the Sierra Campaign.MESA MicroFab Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Incident Response Leader-ship Team

Cross-lab effort of 100 Sandians, led by this team, responded effectively to contain,recover, and prevent recurrence of a GaAs safety incident in Sandia’s MicroFab.

(Continued on next page)

2016 Employee Recognition Awards program honors teams, individuals for exceptional contributions

Michael Basile2668

Thomas Bauer8226

Ross Burchard6531

Giorgio Bacelli6122

Candice Cooper5421

Todd Patrick Fielder9546

Diana de la Rosa Galey4236

Michael Descour1725

Cindy Fulcher9545

Vivian George2951

William Hilbun5785

Gabrielle Rose Holcomb10222

Robbin Hinojos4258

Carl Lee Jacques1529

Jenny Harding302

Jason Juedes Haas5621

Rudolph Richard Griego10575

Leah Barker3510

Programmable Acoustic RF Filter TeamThe Programmable Piezoelectric RF Filter Team used innovative approaches

to realize the first switchable contour-mode resonators and demonstrate a pathtoward high-Q reconfigurable RF filters.Predictive Tribology of Metals Team

For outstanding effort in creating a general, science-based, predictive modelof friction in metal contacts.Energy and Climate PMU Proposal Team

The proposal team partnered with the technical and financial line staff tomanage the preparation, submission, and tracking of 339 proposals in FY15.

Division 2000Mk5/W88-0 ALT 940 Team

The W88 ALT 940 team completed two product development phases in lessthan a year to realize leveraging opportunities with the ALT 370 programW88 ALT 370 Systems, QUAlification, QUAlity, REquirements,Surveillance (SQUARES) Integration Team

For outstanding teamwork to close requirements TBXs, complete requirementstraceability, and plan requirements verification in a manner that delightedNavy/NNSA and our design agency partners.B61-12 FTDU61-DFT1,2,3 Flight Test Team

For technical excellence demonstrated through successful execution of threeB61-12 F-15E flight testsController and Cryptographic Processor Hardware IntegrationTeam

The CMS Hardware team persevered through Group 2 build on schedule toconduct environmental testing despite a shortened integration schedule, andencountering several difficult challenges.Thermal Battery Destructive Testing Team

The Thermal Battery Destructive Testing Team has provided timely and respon-

Individual honorees

Charis Ann Church1540

James Clenaghan1747

SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30, 2016 • Page 6

Team honorees

The B61-12 FTDU Flight Test Team — For technical excellence demonstratedthrough successful execution of three B61-12 F-15E flight tests

NOVA Award winner

PROGRAMMABLE ACOUSTIC RF FILTER TEAM

Team member names at http://tiny.sandia.gov/zwjhb

SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30, 2016 • Page 7

Darryl Melander9525

Mary A. Miller1755

Robert Miltenberger4128

Jimmie Wolf9336

Sharissa Young151

Gregory Stihel6810

Anthony S. Tafoya5947

Thomas Reichardt8128

Margeri Velasquez10617

Tara Jean Olivier6625

Ganesan Nagasubramanian2545

Adam Pimentel1852

Ali Pinar8962

Christopher San Marchi 8367

Jeffrey Spooner5322

Freman Leaming4821

Brittany Johnson10591

sive support for B61 and W88 thermal battery programs with changingneeds and aggressive schedules.CL-20 Morphology Performance Team

The effect of CL-20 morphology on exploding bridgewire performance wascharacterized through preparation of unique CL-20 formulations incorpo-rated into EBWs and evaluated through functional testing. Circuit Resistance Investigation Team

The team’s investigation of a new degradation mechanism and creativeproblem solving has provided a profound understanding of the impact tosurety mechanisms.Production Crypto Facility (PCF) Development Team

For exceptional teamwork in the development of the Production CryptoFacility in coordination with the GPS Directorate, Hughes Design Group, andthe Aerospace Corporation.Center 2600 Electrical Safety Committee

To provide enhanced guidance for laboratory electrical work, the teamdeveloped principle-based policies and procedures for use in Center 2600when conducting electrical testing.ALMOND Design Team

The ALMOND design team solved several long-standing DoD technicalchallenges in fuze survival against extremes of pressure and density resultingin significant follow-on work.Partial Fill Lightning Arrestor Connector (LAC) Analysis

Developing an innovative solution using statistical and quantitative

David Lartonoix0151

Natalie Jouravel8512

analysis for low granule fill Lightning Arrestor Connectors resulting in closingof six Significant Finding Investigations.ELNG Rapid Tooling and Process Engineering Support

By combining rapid innovative tooling and continuous process develop-ment, the 2700 Tooling and Process Engineering team increased ELNG yieldsby 30%.Equipment Lifecycle Management Team

This team has done an outstanding job of procuring and delivering to pro-duction, analytical and development updated process equipment.Center 2700 Security Team - Security By Design

The Center 2700 Security Team executed Security By Design (SBD), a multi-faceted, proactive approach to security.B61-12 PA-200 Vibration Flyaround (VFA) Team

Aircraft Compatibility team from Organizations 2917, 1557 and 2667completed a 4-week/8 flight test measuring B61-12 vibration, acoustics, andtemperature on NATO’s PA-200 Tornado aircraft.NW Accident Response Group (ARG) Explosive Ordnance Dis-posal (EOD) Combined Exercise DOGEAR Team

The Sandia ARG team planned, led and executed a full team response inthe first custodial unit EOD exercise engagement in over 5 years.02950 Centrifuge Team

For exceptional technical competence exhibited while repairing one of the large,high-onset WETL centrifuges to resume laboratory performance testing of weaponsystems.

Division 3000Division 3000 GPA SWAT TEAM

Exceptional team analyzed impact of using GPA as dominant screeningcriterion and predictor of job performance; made recommendations to MSTfor actionable hiring process improvements.Energy Hubs Team

Energy Hubs, purpose-built spaces designed to support and promoteemployee well-being, demonstrating Sandia’s commitment to health, safety,and diversity.New Retirement Calculator Team

Designed and implemented a new retirement calculator for added func-tionality, resolution of past issues, increased efficiency, and inclusion of rep-resented participants for better customer experience.

Division 4000Sandia Committee on Electrical Safety (CES)

The Sandia Committee on Electrical Safety has significantly improved thehazard awareness and safety of electrical operations across the Lab.

Tristan Wren Walters10512

Mary Watson4847

Rocket Motor Disposition Campaigns TeamSuccessful disposal of 917 rocket motors: 100 Star Hot Gas Generators,

386 Mighty Mouse rocket motors, 429 Zuni rocket motors, and 2 Recruitrocket motors.Copper-64 Activated Glass Microspheres Production andCharacterization Team

The team successfully produced and characterized copper-64 embeddedglass microspheres in support of the development of a promising new tech-nology for the treatment of cancer.HSPD-12 Badge Reader and Indicator Lights ImplementationTeam

For designing and implementing an engineered solution to significantlyreduce security incidents involving Closed Area access control.Security Program Planning Team for the DOE/EA-22Inspection

Successful inspection results were achieved through the EA-22 InspectionPlanning Team’s proactive approach to preparing Sandia’s Security Programand related Line organizationsSaturn Section Lift Troubleshooting and Repair Team

FMOC Operations, Engineering, and Project Management teams facili-tated complex troubleshooting and repair of the Saturn Center Section Lift,enabling key support of SNL mission activities.Facilities Construction Safety Excellence Team

For driving safe execution of over $105M in project work during FY15 withzero recordable injuries.

(Continued on next page)

CL-20 MORPHOLOGY PERFORMANCE TEAM

DIVISION 3000 GPA SWAT TEAM

ROCKET MOTOR DISPOSITION CAMPAIGNS TEAM

PARTIAL FILL LIGHTNING ARRESTOR CONNECTOR ANALYSIS FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION SAFETY EXCELLENCE TEAM

(Continued from preceding page page)

THE ERA PROGRAM has seven nomination categories. Two team categories recognize 1)technical, administrative, and support team contributions and 2) team safety initiatives. Fivecategories recognize individual achievements.• The Team Technical, Administrative, Support category recognizes teams whose excep-tional contributions are critically enabled by teamwork, and model the values of peopleworking together toward a common goal, proactively looking for, and acting upon, oppor-tunities to improve, while being fully accountable for their performance.• The Team Improves Workplace Safety category recognizes teams whose passion for safetyhas positively influenced and matured safety culture, fortified Sandia's physical safety infrastruc-ture, or created or improved safety programs. Exemplifies Safety as an essential Sandia value.• Individual Technical Excellence — The Technical Excellence category recognizes indi-viduals whose innovative science and predictive, science-based engineering capabilitiescontribute to the transformation of Sandia’s business practices and provide solutions toNational Security problems.

• Individual Exceptional Service — The Exceptional Service category recognizes commit-ment and efforts to implement and proactively seek improvements to the organization,and/or Sandia's reputation while enabling others to succeed.• Individual Leadership — The Leadership category honors employees who have demon-strated exceptional creativity, courage, and integrity in leading others to the successfulaccomplishment of Sandia’s work. This is also the category to acknowledge an individual fordemonstrating exceptional people skills, modeling and reinforcing key behaviors and atti-tudes which are aligned with Sandia’s organizational values.• Individual Sandia Values, Ethics, and Integrity — The Sandia Values, Ethics, andIntegrity category recognizes individuals who have exemplified Sandia's values and demon-strated the highest standards of integrity and business ethical conduct.• Individual Safety Leader and Change Agent — Recognizes individual’s demonstratedcommitment to influence immediate or sustainable improved personal and organizationalsafety performance or physical workplace safety improvements.

Individual not pictured: Benjamin Olson

SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30, 2016 • Page 8

Division 5000MICA Data Link Team

The MICA Data Link team has enabled LPI/LPD communications forDTRA, unparalleled by current schemes, allowing continuous remotemonitoring of locations of national interest. Dionysus Team

Highly successful aircraft integration, OCONUS deployment, and opera-tional support of the Sandia miniSAR “Dionysus” radar system, supportingthe USSOUTHCOM Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance MissionB61-12 Weapon Control Unit Product Realization Team

The WCU PRT has demonstrated incomparable commitment to the nationdeveloping and supporting hardware that led to the successful B61-12 Devel-opment Flight Tests in 2015.Low Cost Missile Defeat (LCMD) Phase 1A Team

The LCMD Phase1 Team delivered critical analyses and technology matu-ration demonstrating program feasibility which secured the sponsor’s deci-sion to fund a $274M LCMD Strategic JCTD.Integrated Military Systems Sled Test Team for the Navy

As the national team integrator, Sandia coordinated a sled test evaluatingpayload performance in extreme environments with a multi-agency teamusing “Safe by Design” principles.

Remote Interface (RIF) Design, Build and Installation TeamThe Remote Interface (RIF) team delivered a newly designed system to

two OCONUS locations in support of the $90M FROGS Ground Station. The Space-Based Infrared System Geosynchronous StarerProcessor (GSP) Development Team

The GSP teams’ effort has resulted in enhanced situation awareness toour Combatant Commanders, protecting our warfighters and enhancing theUnited States’ national securityThe Skypunch Team

In recognition for their innovation and execution strategies to provideSandia its first R&D Cloud Computing Environment via 100% open sourcetechnologies.Norwegian Fire Lizard (NFL) Team

The Norwegian Fire Lizard (NFL) team matured an LDRD prototype anddeveloped it into TRL 8 technology that has been deployed to the warfighter.SHA Investigators Team

For the research and development of novel approaches to solving difficultSHA related problems.LOBOS Search and Rescue Beacon Team

For outstanding responsiveness and effectiveness in the face of urgent,short turnaround customer need for the design, build, and fielding of lifesav-ing technologies.GBD III Prime SIGHTS Subsystem Preliminary Design Review Team

For exceptional teamwork to successfully complete the GBD III Prime Spec-tral Imaging Geolocation Hyper-Temporal Sensor (SIGHTS) Subsystem Prelimi-nary Design Review.Retro-Reflector Data Device (R2D2) Team

The R2D2 team successfully delivered a complex integrated modulatorretro-reflector data device capable of transferring data at high rates notpreviously achieved. Bialystock Team

The team applied advanced data analytical techniques to answer anational security question that remained unanswerable for at least the past25 years.

Program Accomplishments TeamFor your contributions and team work that led to several important deliv-

eries in 2015. Thanks to everyone for your dedicated service to this program.

Division 6000High-Temperature Falling Particle Receiver Team

For planning, designing, constructing, and successfully testing the world’sfirst continuously operating high-temperature particle receiver with adher-ence to engineered safety, quality, and technical excellence.DRC WANDERER Team

The Team Demonstrated Unprecedented Energy Efficiency and Endurancein Legged Robots While Operating with Safety and Integrity at an Historic,High-Profile Public Robotics Event.Trailer Communications System 2 (TCS2) Development Team

Delivered the next generation secure communications system for the Safe-Guards Transporter used in the transportation of national security assets by DOE.

Thor Field Campaigns TeamThe Thor field campaigns demonstrated technical innovation in active

source seismology and infrasound and increased US capabilities in nuclearnonproliferation.West Africa Ebola Diagnostic Laboratory Coordinator Team

For exceptional service as laboratory coordinators for the Ebola diagnosticlaboratories supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in SierraLeone, Guinea, and Liberia.Public Hearing Team for Mixed Waste Landfill Class 3 PermitModification Team

The Mixed Waste Landfill (MWL) Permit Hearing culminates 11 years ofactivities to complete corrective action and obtain regulatory closure by theNM Environment Department.

Division 8000Surety Analysis Team

In recognition of the outstanding work in surety risk analysis, in particularfor support of the W80-4 program. W88ALT370 Telemetry PRT Team

The Telemetry team delivered quality product that was critical toW88/DASO-26 mission success, while challenged by shortened timelines andlate changing scope.

SNL Algae Testbed TeamThis team designed, built, and commissioned an algal facility to under-

stand and mitigate pathogens/predators that “crash” algae cultures, a criti-cal barrier to commercializing algae biofuels.W80-4 Phase 6.1 System Engineering Team

The W80-4 System team created conceptual warhead options as a part of thejoint NNSA-Air Force Phase 6.1 study for the Long Range Stand-off Warhead.Sandia Attraction and Retention in the Bay Area TalentMarketplace Team

A multidisciplinary team spanning NM and CA performed analysis ofattraction and retention challenges and developed solutions for strengthen-ing Sandia competitiveness in the Bay Area.Building 910 Second Floor Information TechnologyInfrastructure Deployment Team

This team successfully deployed Information Technology infrastructureunder intense schedule constraints achieving critical milestones leading tothe DOE certification of a high security space.

Division 9000Trust Enhancement Project (TEP) Team

For exceptional teamwork in the designing/deployment of a TRUSTEngineered Environment that will significantly improve the protectionaround critical data for the Nuclear Security EnterpriseHigh Performance Computing Infrastructure Monitoring Team

Sandia’s HPC Monitoring team released the R&D 100 Award winningLightweight Distributed Metric Service and used it across the Trilab toimprove performance and cost.

(Continued from preceding page) 9545 .Net Development Team The 9545 .Net Development team delivers low-cost, quality applications

quickly and effectively. The team delivers impactful applications that fitcustomer needs. Analytics for Sandia Knowledge Team

The ASK Team has deployed new analytic technologies that have revolu-tionized the delivery of corporate analytic data and analytic visualizations.

Division 10000The Subcontract Labor Law Compliance Team

For exceptional teamwork in implementing new tools, processes, andstandards to ensure Sandia and its subcontractors were in full compliancewith United States labor law.Strategic Partnership Project (SPP) Budget & Reporting (B&R)Conversion Team

Strategic Partnership Project Budget and Reporting Account Conversion Project.Safety Welcome Wagon Initiative, 10500 Pilot Team

The Welcome Wagon Pilot Team brought to life an idea originating fromDivision 10000 FY15 Safety Maturity efforts, changing the way staff thinkabout safety.Service Center/Holding Project (SC/HP) Overhead Billing Team

Developed effective and efficient IT solutions for Service Center/Holding Projectoverhead billings across Sandia, creating significant efficiencies and cost savings.

Cost Savings Implementation TeamFor innovation in developing and creating a consolidated report of all

Sandia Procurement Cost Savings/Cost Avoidance associated to purchases.

Division 11000Sandia’s Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) Team

Sandia’s NDA Team operates at the Speed of Business but does notsacrifice quality.

Executive SupportFY16-FY20 Sandia Strategic Planning Team

The team worked with Sandia’s executives to develop the Labs’ five-yearstrategy and develop an innovative approach to communicate the plan tothe workforce.20th Anniversary and National Security Lab Day StockpileStewardship Program Display Team

For providing beautiful display materials with a powerful, strategicmessage to inform high-ranking federal government and state departmentvisitors at the event.Additive Manufacturing Qualification Team

For significantly advancing the strategy for insertion and qualificationof additive manufactured components into the nuclear weapon stockpile.AWG-711 Special Nuclear Material Air Transport PackageDesign Team

This team designed an air-transport shipping container for UK SNM com-ponents and materials, to meet very stringent US and UK air-transport regu-latory requirements.Lost and Stolen Property Enhancement Team

For streamlining the reporting process for lost/stolen property, eliminat-ing duplication of effort, and providing a simplified process for customers.

MICA DATA LINK TEAM

SNL ALGAE TESTBED TEAM

LOST AND STOLEN PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT TEAMBIALYSTOCK TEAM

REMOTE INTERFACE DESIGN, BUILD AND INSTALLATION TEAM COST SAVINGS IMPLEMENTATION TEAM

THOR FIELD CAMPAIGNS TEAM

9545 .NET DEVELOPMENT TEAM

SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30, 2016 • Page 9

“Bernie’s expertise insolving complex materialsproblems is on the cuttingedge of many fields,” saysTim. “In addition to her tech-nical work, she is dedicatedto increasing the number ofstudents entering science bytirelessly donating her timeand effort.”

Bernie has mentoredmore than 50 studentinterns in her lab, many ofwhom have gone on to pur-sue graduate degrees inchemistry. Sonia Mendoza, achemistry student from Uni-versidad del Valle deMexico says, “Working withBernie, I learned to chal-lenge myself and that any-thing is possible, no matteryour background. Bernietaught me to not alwaystrust published work, but toprove things yourselfthrough science.”

Maddison Casillas, afreshman at UNM who worksin her lab, says, “Bernie has spent countless hours justexplaining concepts to me. She has not only taught mechemistry, but she has also taught me lessons that havehelped me with my everyday life.”

In addition to helping undergraduates succeed, Bernieworks with elementary and middle school students fromunderrepresented communities to get them excited aboutscience. “I like to give back, because I look at them and seemyself. I understand the importance of being introducedto new concepts and role models in order to encourage

student interest.” she says. It’s that passion that got her involved in Sandia’s MANOS

program for Hispanic youth, where she volunteered in thecommunity teaching basic chemistry classes. From herMANOS curriculum evolved the CSI: Dognapping ForensicsProgram — a lively, interactive outreach program shedesigned with Tim Boyle to show kids that science is fun.CSI: Dognapping has since reached 5,000 local schoolchild-ren, and was honored by the American Chemical Societywith the 2015 ChemLuminary Award for Outstanding Kids& Chemistry.

“Bernie is one of the most dedicated volunteers at Sandia,” says Amy Tapia (3652),Community Involvementmanager. “She has lived the journey herself and is eagerto help others. She supports students through meaningfulprograms that provide them with the skills they need tobe successful.”

Vincent Urias: “Just do it”Vincent was raised by his grandparents, who immi-

grated to the US from Guatemala in the 1960s, fleeing per-secution. He says they instilled in him a love of the UnitedStates and the value of service. Speaking about his grand-mother Josephine today, Vincent says, “I can’t slow herdown. She is in her 80s, volunteering four days a week ina first grade classroom, and walking to work every day.”

Vincent, too, is a non-stop force of energy. He hasachieved notable success in Sandia’s cyber defense pro-grams, supporting national security for partners includingthe US Department of Defense. His research includeslarge-scale cyber modeling and simulation environmentsat Sandia, called Emulytics™, that have allowed for thetesting of software systems at the scale of large enter-prises. From that work came a striking innovation thatearned him a patent — an advanced security technologycalled Deception.

Says Vincent’s manager, David Duggan (9526), “Tobe able to perform this type of testing before deployingsoftware systems was a capability missing from the soft-ware engineer’s toolbox until now. Vincent is the visionaryand driving force behind these innovations.”

Vincent holds a master’s degree in computer scienceand a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from NewMexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He is completinga PhD at New Mexico Tech in computer science.

Amidst work and school projects, Vincent has mentoredmore than 25 undergraduate students at Sandia. His man-ager says, “He’s got an infectious attitude and an outstand-ing work ethic that students can see and want to emulatethemselves. He enables them to want to learn and domore in this field.”

Outside the lab, Vincent volunteers at the HispanicCultural Center to encourage minority students to pursueSTEM education. He also serves as Stewardship chair ofthe United Way of Central New Mexico’s Hispanic Philan-thropic Society, designing strategies to invest in localmiddle school youth.

Vincent says his advice to underserved students who areinterested in STEM careers is, “The curriculum is going to behard, but just do it. You can succeed.”

Vincent grew up in the low-income sector of Albu-querque informally known as “The War Zone,” or, the Inter-national District. Amidst a neighborhood occupied withgangs and drugs, his grandfather Alfred drove him to andfrom school every day, and retired “to focus on taking careof me,” Vincent says. “He thought it was a big job.” Vincentcredits his drive to both of his grandparents, who taughthim to never stop trying, and don’t be afraid to fail, he says.

At age 15 Vincent got a job at Sandia, working as anintern-level tech in the computer support unit (CSU). Hetributes his success to the mentors he still calls his “adoptiveparents” — Susan Sackinger, his first supervisor at Sandia,and her husband Phil Sackinger (5524) who mentored himin Sandia’s Engineering Science Center.

“I did not even know I was going to college until I cameto Sandia,” Vincent says. “Being exposed to the talent, thetechnology, and the people here changed my life.”

Two outstanding Sandia innovators have been recog-nized nationally for their technical achievementswith 2016 HENAAC Awards from Great Minds in

STEM. Chemist Bernadette “Bernie” Hernandez-Sanchez(1815) has won Outstanding Technical Achievement, andcybersecurity researcher Vincent Urias (9526) was nameda Luminary Honoree. While the talents of these tworesearchers span very different fields of science, their com-monalities are remarkable: Both grew up in impoverishedareas of Albuquerque, attended underserved AlbuquerquePublic Schools high schools, started at the Labs as high schoolinterns, and were the first in their families to go to college.

HENAAC, formally the Hispanic Engineering NationalAchievement Awards Conference, honors Hispanicresearchers who have made significant contributions to thenation’s technical community. Awardees are peer-reviewedand come from a wide range of private industry, academia,military, and government organizations. Bernie and Vin-cent will be recognized with other national winners at the28th annual HENAAC Conference in Anaheim, California,Oct. 5-9, during National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Bernie Hernandez: A Material Girl“The first time I ever met a scientist was when I started

my internship at Sandia,” says Bernie, who is from Albu-querque’s South Valley, where few people she knew wentto college. Today, she is a highly accomplished chemist,and the first woman at the Labs to receive the prestigiousHENAAC award for Outstanding Technical Achievement.

“This award is gratifying,” Bernie says. “I am so thankful.There is still so much more work I want to do. What I loveabout chemistry is making new materials, and seeing howthose materials can be applied to so many different aspectsof our community and our world.”

Bernie’s technical achievements focus on the morphol-ogy, structure, and properties of nanomaterials for real-world applications ranging from renewable energy tohomeland security. As the principal investigator on Sandia’sMarine & Hydrokinetic Advanced Materials Program,Bernie’s work has made strides in the field of water power.She studies materials challenges such as corrosion forunderwater devices that aim to harness clean energy forelectricity. In one such project she is developing nano-engi-neered copper-silver coatings to keep microorganisms fromgrowing on equipment. She says the coatings come fromtechniques she has spent more than 10 years developing inSandia’s Advanced Materials Lab (AML).

In another project, Bernie works with a local company,bioLime®, through the New Mexico Small BusinessAssistance program. She is helping the business improvethe chemistry of stucco, a staple material in Southwesternhomes that is prone to aging and cracking.

Bernie has also contributed to Sandia’s NanoCRISPRGrand Challenge project, funded by the Laboratory DirectedResearch and Development program, and to the improvedchemistry of lithium-ion batteries and ferroelectricperovskite materials.

She holds a PhD in inorganic solid state chemistry fromColorado State University and a bachelor’s degree in chem-istry from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.She has published 28 technical papers and has beenawarded two patents.

Bernie says her longtime mentor at the AML, chemistTim Boyle (1815), has been among her most important rolemodels.

Paving the way

By Rebecca Brock

VINCENT URIAS was named a HENAAC Luminary Honoree, which recognizes professionals in science, technology, engineering, andmathematics who initiate, collaborate, and lead key programs and research within their companies. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

BERNADETTE HERNANDEZ-SANCHEZ (1815) is the first woman at the Labs to receive the pres-tigious HENAAC award for Outstanding Technical Achievement. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30, 2016 • Page 10

Modeling for Energy executive council, will lead a projecttitled Cloud-Resolving Climate Modeling of the Earth’sWater Cycle.

Other projects supported by Sandia computer scien-tists, engineers, and other researchers include ExascalePredictive Wind Plant Flow Physics Modeling, led by theNational Renewable Energy Laboratory, with Oak RidgeNational Laboratory and the University of Texas, Austin,as partners; Molecular Dynamics at the Exascale: Span-ning the Accuracy, Length, and Time Scales for CriticalProblems in Materials Science, led by Los AlamosNational Laboratory, with the University of Tennessee;and QMCPACK: A Framework for Predictive and Systemat-ically Improvable Quantum Mechanics-Based Simulationsof Materials, led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory andfive partners.

A billion billion calculations per secondExascale refers to the next challenge in high-perfor-

mance computing systems: machines capable of atleast a billion billion calculations per second, 50 to 100times faster than the most powerful supercomputers inuse today.

All 15 fully funded projects and seven others thatreceived seed funding involve partners from a total of 45universities, national labs, and private companies.

Says Bruce Hendrickson, director of Sandia’s Center forComputing Research (1400), “We are excited by the oppor-tunity to lead DOE’s efforts in these critical areas of scienceand technology. Sandia is committed to the ECP’s goal ofenhancing the impact of advanced computing throughbreakthroughs in computer science, software, and algo-rithms as well as hardware.”

Says Jackie, “The development of an exascale high-fidelity combustion simulation capability has tremendouspotential scientific, technological, and societal impact. Dueto the unrivaled energy density of liquid hydrocarbon fuels,combustion will continue to provide much of the world’senergy for at least the next 50 years. Combustion needs tobe understood and optimized to prevent further climatechange, to reduce emissions harmful to human health, andto ensure US energy security.”

Multi-decade climate simulationsSays Mark, “Our project team will develop a cloud-

resolving Earth system model for multi-decade climate sim-ulations that realistically treat storms. This will improve ourability to assess regional impacts of climate change on thewater cycle that directly affect multiple sectors of the USand global economies, especially agriculture and energyproduction.”

“These application development awards are a majorfirst step toward achieving mission critical applicationreadiness on the path to exascale,” says ECP director PaulMessina. “A key element of the ECP’s mission is to deliver

breakthrough high-performance computing modeling andsimulation solutions that confidently deliver insight andpredict answers to the most critical US problems and chal-lenges in scientific discovery, energy assurance, economiccompetitiveness, and national security.”

He continues, “Application readiness is a strategicaspect of our project and foundational to the developmentof holistic, capable exascale computing environments.”

The application efforts will help guide DOE’s develop-ment of a US exascale ecosystem as part of PresidentBarack Obama’s National Strategic Computing Initiative(NSCI). DOE, the Department of Defense and the NationalScience Foundation have been designated as NSCI leadagencies, and the ECP is the primary DOE contribution tothe initiative.

The ECP’s multiyear mission is to maximize the benefitsof high-performance computing for US economic competi-tiveness, national security, and scientific discovery. Inaddition to applications, the ECP addresses hardware, soft-ware, platforms and workforce development needs criticalto the effective development and deployment of futureexascale systems.

The ECP will fund projects in energy security, economicsecurity, scientific discovery, climate and environmentalscience, and healthcare. It is led by six DOE national labora-tories: the Office of Science’s Oak Ridge, Argonne, andLawrence Berkeley national labs, and NNSA’s Lawrence Liv-ermore, Los Alamos, and Sandia national labs.

Developing a broad set of modeling and simulationapplications that support the DOE’s scientific, engineering,and nuclear security programs is one of four primary ECPgoals. Its other major goals are to develop productive exas-

cale computing (hardware and software); prepare two ormore DOE facilities to house exascale machines by 2023;and to maximize the benefits of high-performance com-puting to US science and commerce.

The full list of application development awards follows:

Full Funding:• Computing the Sky at Extreme Scales, Salman Habib

(ANL) with LANL, LBNL• Exascale Deep Learning and Simulation Enabled Pre-

cision Medicine for Cancer, Rick Stevens (ANL) with LANL,LLNL, ORNL, NIH/NCI

• Exascale Lattice Gauge Theory Opportunities andRequirements for Nuclear and High Energy Physics, PaulMackenzie (FNAL) with BNL, TJNAF, Boston University,Columbia University, University of Utah, Indiana Univer-sity, UIUC, Stony Brook, College of William & Mary

• Molecular Dynamics at the Exascale: Spanning theAccuracy, Length and Time Scales for Critical Problems inMaterials Science, Arthur Voter (LANL) with SNL, Universityof Tennessee

• Exascale Modeling of Advanced Particle Accelerators,Jean-Luc Vay (LBNL) with LLNL, SLAC

• An Exascale Subsurface Simulator of Coupled Flow,Transport, Reactions and Mechanics, Carl Steefel (LBNL)with LLNL, NETL

• Exascale Predictive Wind Plant Flow Physics Modeling,Steve Hammond (NREL) with SNL, ORNL, University ofTexas Austin

• QMCPACK: A Framework for Predictive and Systemati-cally Improvable Quantum Mechanics-Based Simulationsof Materials, Paul Kent (ORNL) with ANL, LLNL, SNL, StoneRidge Technology, Intel, Nvidia

• Coupled Monte Carlo Neutronics and Fluid Flow Sim-ulation of Small Modular Reactors, Thomas Evans (ORNL,PI) with ANL, INL, MIT

• Transforming Additive Manufacturing through Exas-cale Simulation (TrAMEx), John Turner (ORNL) with LLNL,LANL, NIST

• NWChemEx: Tackling Chemical, Materials and Bio-molecular Challenges in the Exascale Era, T. H. Dunning, Jr.(PNNL), with Ames, ANL, BNL, LBNL, ORNL, PNNL, VirginiaTech

• High-Fidelity Whole Device Modeling of MagneticallyConfined Fusion Plasma, Amitava Bhattacharjee (PPPL)with ANL, ORNL, LLNL, Rutgers, UCLA, University ofColorado

• Data Analytics at the Exascale for Free Electron Lasers,Amedeo Perazzo (SLAC) with LANL, LBNL, Stanford

• Transforming Combustion Science and Technologywith Exascale Simulations, Jackie Chen (SNL) with LBNL,NREL, ORNL, University of Connecticut

• Cloud-Resolving Climate Modeling of the Earth’sWater Cycle, Mark Taylor (SNL) with ANL, LANL, LLNL,ORNL, PNNL, UCI, CSU

Seed Funding:• Enabling GAMESS for Exascale Computing in Chemistry

& Materials, Mark Gordon (Ames) with ANL, ORNL, IowaState University, Georgia Tech, Old Dominion University,Australian National University, EP Analytics, NVIDIA

• Multiscale Coupled Urban Systems, Charlie Catlett(ANL) with LBNL, NREL, ORNL, PNNL

• Exascale Models of Stellar Explosions: QuintessentialMulti-Physics Simulation, Daniel Kasen (LBNL), with ANL,ORNL, Stony Brook, University of Chicago

• Exascale Solutions for Microbiome Analysis, KathyYelick (LBNL) with LANL, Joint Genome Institute

• High Performance, Multidisciplinary Simulations forRegional Scale Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessments, DavidMcCallen (LBNL) with LLNL, UC Davis, UC Berkeley

• Performance Prediction of Multiphase Energy Conver-sion Devices with Discrete Element, Particle-in-Cell, andTwo-Fluid Models (MFIX-Exa), Madhava Syamlal (NETL) withLBNL, University of Colorado

• Optimizing Stochastic Grid Dynamics at Exascale,Henry Huang (PNNL) with ANL, NREL

Exascale computing(Continued from page 1)

A BATCH OF GOOD APPLES — On Saturday, Sept.10, more than 30 Sandia volunteers helped har-vest 10,000 pounds of apples from 100 trees in aCorrales, New Mexico, orchard for donation toRoadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico. One hun-dred total volunteers staffed the family-friendlyevent organized by Seed2Need, a nonprofit thataims to reduce hunger by providing families withfresh, locally grown produce. Community Involve-ment (3652) is organizing future volunteer activi-ties with the group.

(Photo by Katrina Wagner)

Apple pickin’ time

Image source: DOE Office of Science

SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30, 2016 • Page 11

MISCELLANEOUS

CONVERTIBLE CRIB, wood, nat-ural, 5 level mattress support,Simmons mattress, excellentcondition, paid $350, asking$150. Liang, 505-823-1695.

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KOKEN BARBER CHAIR, works,porcelain base intact, black &aluminum, $750. Altman,505-463-6999.

COACH PURSES, small & medi-um sizes, great condition, $5& up. Eller, 417-4390.

CHILD CARRIER, Dueter Kid Com-fort II, excellent condition,brand new at $250, asking,$100. Pan, 505-823-1695.

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WOOD HEADER, laminated, 2” x12” x 20’, $70; 3/4-in. ply-wood sheets, 3, $14 ea.; 15-ft.ladder, $50; patio umbrella,$45; RV lounge chairs, more.Garcia, 554-2690.

CORNER DESK, large, built-in filecabinet, cherry veneer finish,great condition, photos avail-able, $75 OBO. Elmazi,505-856-2197.

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ROOMMATE(S), Volterra, 5 mins.to base, WiFi, no pets,$475/mo. Guillen,505-385-8189.

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How to submit classifiedadsDEADLINE: Friday noon before week ofpublication unless changed by holiday.Submit by one of these methods:• EMAIL: Michelle Fleming(classads@sandia.gov)

• FAX: 844-0645• MAIL: MS 1468 (Dept. 3651)• INTERNAL WEB: On internal web home-page, click on News Center, then on LabNews link, and then on the very top ofLab News homepage “Submit a ClassifiedAd.”If you have questions, call Michelleat 844-4902. Because of space constraints, ads will be

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Mileposts

New Mexico photos by Michelle FlemingCalifornia photos by Randy Wong

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SANDIA LAB NEWS • September 30, 2016 • Page 12

hopefully get to a paradigm where we squeeze every bit ofvalue and impact out of every dollar that is given to theUnited Way. I’m an electrical engineer, and at the end ofthe day, I think one thing we have in common is we all tryto make sure everything we do is optimized. So I try to takeall the things that make me an engineer, and the things wedo in my department, and apply them to my work with theUnited Way,” he says.

A huge needMike became involved with the UWCNM Community

Fund in 1999, the same year he came to Sandia. Beforethat, he sat on an Albuquerque City Council subcommitteethat approved the city’s information technology purchases.Through his involvement with the subcommittee, hebecame acquainted with Jerry Esch, a Sandian involvedwith the UWCNM’s Community Fund who shared Mike’spassion for ensuring allocation decisions resulted in astrong return on investment.

Mike has been a United Way contributor since 1984,and had volunteered with various UWCNM agencies acrossa spectrum of causes before Jerry encouraged him to workwith the Community Fund in 1999. His volunteer hourshave supported each of the Community Fund’s focus areas.

“I guess over time I’ve developed a lot of passion aroundall three of those areas,” he says.

Having lived in urban and rural areas of New Mexico,Mike has seen that the needs of the state are vast and oftenurgent. He says that when he has moved from United Waywork in one focus area to another, he’s been surprised bythe level of need he’s seen each time.

“The economic downturn caused a lot of governmentfunding for many programs to be drastically reduced oroutright zeroed. The recession was devastating to the mostvulnerable populations,” he says. In response, he says, “TheUWCNM quantitatively and qualitatively steers grantawards to those who can most benefit, both in the ruraland urban areas of central New Mexico.”

A community-driven award processCommunity Fund grant money is distributed to agen-

cies by a community-driven process. First, a group of vol-

unteer financial professionals performs a Financial Stan-dards Review of the applicant agencies. Those that passare invited to apply for funding. Those that don’t are puton a path to financial strength. Then more than 150donors, volunteers, and community members assigned toAllocation Panels review and score the applications. ThePanel’s Award Recommendations and Panel Statementsare shared with the CIC, which then makes the final alloca-tion decisions.

“Sandians are very generous people, and Sandia is avery generous institution, and we should celebrate that.We’re generous not only with our money, but also with ourtime. Sandia has a long legacy of serving on Allocation Pan-els and the CIC. In fact the current CIC chair, Bryan Barela,is now a staff augmentation contractor (elected while atIntel) and last year Justin Ford (5634) succeeded Org. 5630Senior Manager Jim Novak on the CIC. Anyone is welcomeand encouraged to volunteer to be on an Allocation Panel,”Mike says.

Amy Tapia, Sandia’s Community Involvement manager(3652), says, “Sandians are deeply involved in how themoney from the Community Fund is allocated and wehave a longstanding leadership role in the CommunityImpact Council that is instrumental in ensuring the fundinggoes where it’s needed most. By pooling resources, theCommunity Fund is able to fund those most in need, whichis difficult to do as an individual donor.”

Impact on the councilMike’s tenure as chair of the CIC will begin next fall. As

council chair, his aim will be to improve the overall experi-ence for agencies that submit grant applications and forthe volunteers who support the Community Fund. Hewants to tailor a volunteer experience that recognizes indi-viduals’ desired engagement level and interests. He alsointends to further streamline the application and decision-making process for funding awards.

“There is a huge need for support from UWCNM in ourcommunity. You wind up seeing so many people in diresituations that it can be easy to get discouraged. But whenyou’ve seen enough of it, it really inspires you to try to dosomething about it,” he says.

Sandians have an enduring impact on the United Way Community Impact Council

A s manager of Nuclear Security Enterprise Integration(252), Mike Gomez and his team develop technical

solutions that equip Sandia executives and other partnersacross the NSE with the models and information they needto make critical decisions and optimize their operations.

It seems fitting, then, that Mike is a dedicated memberand chair elect of the United Way of Central New Mexico’s(UWCNM) Community Impact Council (CIC), a group of vol-unteers whose task is decision-making and optimization.The CIC ultimately decides where UWCNM’s CommunityFund dollars are allocated, and it formulates the strategicvision and selection criteria that inform those decisions.

The Community Fund comprises donations from 17,826individuals and companies, and each year between 100and 150 central New Mexico nonprofit agencies apply forCommunity Fund grants. For the 2016-17 funding cycle, 95grants were awarded across the UWCNM’s focus areas ofeducation, health and safety, and financial stability. Duringthe 2015 Employee Caring Campaign, Sandians contributed$6.6 million, and of that total $1.8 million went to theCommunity Fund.

“I’m trying to apply my passion for optimization to

By Valerie Larkin

DECADES OF DEDICATION — Mike Gomez, manager of NuclearSecurity Enterprise Integration (252), says he and his wifeJoann Gomez (423) have supported the United Way since 1984because they’ve learned over the years how vast the needs arein the community. “I volunteer because I love helping theUWCNM meet some of our community’s most vexing and diffi-cult challenges,” Mike says. (Photo by Stephanie Blackwell)

Employee sees United Way impact from front linesBy Valerie Smith

G iving back to others has been part of Cheryl Atkins’makeup for almost as long as she can remember.

“I remember my mother handing my sisters and meMarch of Dimes cards andhaving us walk up anddown the block collectingdonations,” she recalls.“She raised us to know thatgiving back is part of whowe are.”

Until about six yearsago, United Way was sel-dom if ever a recipient ofher generosity. It justwasn’t on her radar asmuch as organizations thathad personal meaning toher, such as animal causes.That changed when Cheryl,who had experience lead-ing nonprofits in New YorkCity, was tapped to headthe Rape Crisis Center ofCentral New Mexico asexecutive director.

“That was one of thetoughest jobs I ever had,”she said, “but it would havebeen even harder withoutthe support of United Way.I saw first-hand the differ-ence they were able tomake in the lives of peopledealing with horribletrauma.”

At the time, the Rape Crisis Center had about 20 coun-selors. They’d respond to calls around the clock, visiting hos-pitals to assist the victims, directing them to legal assistance,helping families, and in general ensuring that all supportneeded was provided. The Albuquerque Family AdvocacyCenter, a direct result of UWCNM, helped the victims getassistance from different agencies in a single location.

“Ever since that experience, I make sure that at least a

portion of the donation I make through the Employee Car-ing Program goes to the United Way Community Fund,”Cheryl says. “I still designate to nonprofits that are importantto me, but I make sure some goes to United Way to continueworking where the needs in our community are greatest.”

In addition to UWCNM, Cheryl’s donations almostalways are designated to an animal cause and to Habitatfor Humanity. Programs like the Roadrunner Food Bankthat feed families are also frequent recipients of her desig-nated contributions, as are programs that support art andeducation.

“Those are things I think everyone should have in theirlife — shelter, food, someone to love, art, and education,”she says.

ECP CampaignOct. 3-21

United Way Info Fair Oct. 3Sandia’s 2016 Employee Caring Program campaign

kicks off Monday, Oct. 3, at an information fair from11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Steve Schiff Auditorium lobbyand all are invited.

•Representatives from the United Way of Central New

Mexico will be on hand to answer questions about theCommunity Fund, Mission Graduate, and other programsmade possible through the Community Fund. Come learn about the work of Sandia’s affinity groups, includingGuys Give, Women in Philanthropy, Hispano PhilanthropicSociety, the Tocqueville Society, and the Young LeadersSociety.

•Each attendee can select a United Way of Central New

Mexico focus area (education, health, or basic needs/financial stability) to receive a $20 donation. Attendeesalso earn 1,000 Virgin Health Points just for attending.

Learn more at give.sandia.gov.

A DOGGONE GOOD IDEA — Cheryl Atkins visits with a friend at Animal Humane New Mexico.Cheryl says she donates a portion of her ECP contribution each year to nonprofits importantto her and always designates a certain portion to go directly to the United Way of CentralNew Mexico Community Fund. (Photo by Randy Montoya)