ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — “I was the only farm worker who had a calculus book in his car,” joked Sal Rodriguez when I asked him about his upbringing. But it was no joke. The son of immigrants, who grew up in the tiny town of Calexico, California, worked in the fields to put himself through college. […]
Author Archives: Kim Vallez Quintana
Sandia Science & Technology Park marks 25th anniversary
September 7, 2023 – 12:02 pm
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Sandia Science & Technology Park is celebrating 25 years of economic growth with an open house and public showcase. The 340-acre park, which opened in 1998, is home to many of New Mexico’s fastest growing companies and serves as a hub for public-private partnerships. With its location just outside the gates […]
Making materials more durable through science
August 24, 2023 – 11:24 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A team at Sandia National Laboratories developed a molecule that helps change the way some materials react to temperature fluctuations, which makes them more durable. It’s an application that could be used in everything from plastic phone cases to missiles. Polymers, which include various forms of plastics, are made up of many […]
A more holistic and efficient way of testing PPE
August 2, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A team at Sandia National Laboratories has developed a faster and more comprehensive way of testing personal protective equipment, or PPE. The basic principle: modeling a device to fit the human form and human behavior. When COVID-19 hit, PPE testing became an urgent need. In March 2020, when the country went into […]
STEM in the Sun keeps learning cool amid record temperatures
July 29, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Volunteers from Sandia National Laboratories helped wrap up summer break with fun, hands-on science, technology, engineering and math activities at the fourth annual STEM in the Sun program. With the outdoor temperatures hovering near 100 degrees, this year’s event was moved indoors, creating a unique environment for some sun-based STEM learning. Elementary […]
DOE awards Sandia for helping boost small businesses
July 27, 2023 – 2:00 pm
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia’s Mentor-Protégé Program has been named “Mentor of the Year” for the second year in a row by the Department of Energy’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. The DOE Awards Program has also named Sandia’s supply chain subcontract manager, Sofia Delgadillo-Marrufo, as Facility Management Contracting Officer of the Year and […]
Sandia National Labs to demonstrate virtual, augmented reality tech
July 24, 2023 – 7:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Scientists and researchers from Sandia National Laboratories will offer up a first-hand look at virtual and augmented reality technology during a special event at Explora. Everyone from kids, families and STEM enthusiasts are invited to step into the world of extended reality, or XR, and witness cutting-edge technologies coming to life. Participants […]
Sandia and Los Alamos National Labs face off to save lives
July 3, 2023 – 9:12 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory faced off last month in a friendly battle to see who could bring in the most blood donations to mark World Blood Day and help the community. The competition turned out to be a neck-and-neck situation with the winner being decided by a single […]
Sandia leans into a hybrid work model
June 27, 2023 – 1:53 pm
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories is adopting a permanent hybrid workforce, increasing the number of telecommuters and remote workers across the organization. Sandia also plans to establish several hubs around the country that eventually will allow classified work to be done at secure locations other than those in New Mexico and California. The move […]
Sandia scientists achieve breakthrough in tackling PFAS contamination
June 1, 2023 – 11:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A team at Sandia National Laboratories is developing materials to tackle what has become one of the biggest problems in the world: human exposure to a group of chemicals known as PFAS through contaminated water and other products. Sandia is now investing more money to take their research to the next level. […]
Two small businesses added to Sandia National Laboratories’ Mentor-Protégé program
May 22, 2023 – 9:57 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories grew its Mentor-Protégé program from three companies to five with the addition of Dynamic Structures and Materials, LLC of Franklin, Tennessee, and Compunetics Inc., of Monroeville, Pennsylvania. The program not only helps small businesses develop and grow, but also helps foster long-term relationships that help Sandia achieve its mission. […]
Kids Day returns to Sandia post pandemic with record attendance
May 4, 2023 – 12:00 pm
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Nearly 2,000 kids filled Sandia National Laboratories’ Albuquerque site, and another 200 filled the Livermore, California site, to see the cool things their parents and relatives do as part of Kids Day, the highest attendance ever recorded. It’s the first time Sandia has opened its gates like this since the pandemic hit, […]
Students to visit Sandia for firsthand look at STEM careers
March 23, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A group of students from Gallup, Miyamura and Grants high schools will visit Sandia National Laboratories on March 30 to see firsthand some of the Labs’ research and technology that career paths in science, technology, engineering and math can lead to. The students will tour Sandia’s National Solar Thermal Test Facility, Structural […]
New Mexico veteran-owned small business nominated for Department of Energy award
March 21, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Pluma, LLC, has been nominated by Sandia National Laboratories as the Department of Energy’s Protégé of the Year as part of its Mentor-Protégé Program. Pluma, a general construction business started in Albuquerque, is one of five businesses Sandia accepted into the program with the mission of helping them grow with the labs’ […]
New Mexico regional science bowl winners announced
March 20, 2023 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The New Mexico Regional Science Bowl, sponsored by Sandia National Laboratories, brought together 14 high school teams from across the state as part of the Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl competition. Los Alamos High School’s “Team 1” emerged victorious. This comes just weeks after Los Alamos Middle School’s “Team 2” won […]