Sandia Labs FY22 Laboratory Directed Research & Development Annual Report

Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Achievement Awards

SWE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.

SWE PATENT RECOGNITION AWARD. NEDRA BONAL , Sandia Research Integrity Officer, received an SWE Patent Recognition Award for muon

TINA NENOFF , Sandia Senior Scientist, received a 2022 SWE Achievement Award, SWE’s highest honor, which is reserved for a person “who has made significant and progressive technical contributions.” Nenoff, a fellow of both the American

detectors, systems, and methods. Bonal and her co-inventors were awarded a patent last year for an imaging device they created to

Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society, uses chemistry to solve worldwide challenges. Her work with metal-organic frameworks and other nanoporous materials has resulted in numerous inventions. A longstanding proponent of collaboration, Nenoff has been PI on 12 different LDRD projects at Sandia and is currently developing a sensor that detects iodine gas, which releases from a nuclear power plant during a meltdown. The sensor could be further developed into an early detection and warning system for plant workers and nearby communities.

investigate whether muons, particles similar to an electron but much heavier and shorter lived, could be used to image underground structures like facilities inside mountains. “We needed a different set of hardware than what was available,” Bonal said. “Naturally occurring muons mostly travel in a downward direction, but we needed to utilize those traveling from other specific angles. So, we invented a way to determine their direction and isolate the ones of interest, like those traveling horizontally through a mountain.” Bonal’s work in LDRD helped lead to this patent.

Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) BEYA is a program of the national Career Communications Group, an advocate for corporate diversity, and part of its STEM achievement program. The awards annually recognize the nation’s best and brightest engineers, scientists, and technology experts.

BEYA SCIENCE SPECTRUM TRAILBLAZER. LA TONYA JENKINS focuses on systems dynamic modeling supporting projects in Sandia’s Energy Water Systems

of the nation’s energy water systems. Jenkins’ expertise in modeling is also utilized by multiple organizations across Sandia. As a mentor, she works in developing and advancing youth STEM programs. She has been a team member on three LDRD projects, most recently funded through the National Security Programs Investment Area to study data-driven cognitive modeling.

Integration department. Her modeling capability supports the department’s work with human-engineered and natural systems to support the security

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LABORATORY DIRECTED RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT