‘MANOS’ needs a hand
Many of us can thank a teacher or mentor who early in our lives ignited in us a passion for our current professions. Sandia’s Manos — or “hands-on” — program is looking for the next generation of Sandia volunteer mentors to provide that spark for science, technology, engineering and math in local middle school students.
Hear ye, hear ye: open call for algae
To make algae biofuels more competitive with petroleum, growers must increase productivity and keep their ponds from crashing. That’s why Sandia and partners are inviting participants to help in the search for the toughest algae strains and most innovative farming techniques.
Extreme fast-charging batteries
A key roadblock to widespread use of long-range electric vehicles — the longer time needed for a complete recharge compared to a gas station fill-up — may soon be overcome, thanks to DOE support for extreme fast-charging battery research. Fueled by a $1.5 million award from DOE’s Vehicle Technology Office, Sandia and the University of Michigan have teamed up to develop engineered battery materials that can be charged in less than 10 minutes.
International Year of the Periodic Table
Proclaimed the “International Year of the Periodic Table” by the United Nations General Assembly and UNESCO, 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of Dimitri Mendeleev’s publication of a periodic table that arranges the elements by atomic mass.
Middle school teams design cities of the future
Students from 18 rural and urban middle schools took part in the sixth annual New Mexico Future City Competition regional finals at the UNM School of Architecture and Planning. The students vied for the chance to represent New Mexico at the national Future City Competition in Washington, DC, in February.
CSI: Dognapping
More than 500 fourth-graders visited the Sandia/UNM Advanced Materials Laboratory at the University of New Mexico recently to participate in the 15th CSI Dognapping program, organized by LaRico Treadwell with help from Tineca Quintana of Community Involvement and numerous volunteers from Sandia, UNM and Albuquerque Public Schools.
Lunar eclipse rises over Sandia Labs
Sandia photojournalist Randy Montoya captured the lunar eclipse rising over the Starburst sculpture at Sandia in New Mexico on Sunday, Jan. 20.
Celebration at the intellectual property finish line includes family and friends
Sandia researchers were joined by partners, parents and friends in December to celebrate the ninth annual Innovation Celebration, organized by Integrated Partnerships Organizations. The event, at the Albuquerque Museum, recognized individuals who added patents and commercial copyrights to Sandia’s intellectual property portfolio in 2017.
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.
Rubber-powered world champ
Sandian Brett Sanborn holds two world records for F1D models of indoor rubber-powered aircraft, fragile lightweight flyers with the fuselage, tail boom, wing, stabilizer and rudder constructed from balsa wood and reinforced in different places with boron fibers.