Features

Modern myth-buster

Spotting and correcting many of the"science myths" emanating from the Internet, so-called experts and word of mouth. - 7/29/20

Giving every troubled child a voice

Alice serves as a child’s primary advocate, in essence speaking for a child during child-welfare cases - 4/29/20

Aiming for firearms safety and fun

A rifle and pistol competitor since high school, Michael A. Lake has since become an armorer, gunsmith, and range safety officer whose focus is on firearms safety and fun. - 1/29/20

Thaddeus Lewis Kostrubala

For about 20 years, Thaddeus (“Tadz”) Kostrubala has volunteered as a foster caregiver for stray and abused dogs and cats so that they are more easily adopted. - 1/29/20

Employee Spotlight: Garrick Snider

An avid swimmer since youth, Garrick Snider enjoys participating in a series of open-water swims designed to test the skill and endurance of swimmers who can go mile after mile in big bodies of water like rivers, lakes and oceans. - 11/26/19

Employee Spotlight: Joe Fawcett

If it’s soccer season, Joe Fawcett is likely out on the field working as a referee. - 10/29/19

Employee Spotlight: Eric Yee and Lawrence Trujillo

Eric Yee and Lawrence Trujillo play guitars for New Mexican music bands like Al Hurricane, Jr., Lorenzo Antonio, and Sparx. - 9/25/19

Employee Spotlight - Josh Valdez

On any given weekend, Joshua N. Valdez of the Material Management & Business Services (NPI-8) group and his family can be found riding horses, practicing roping and participating in team-roping competitions throughout New Mexico. - 8/28/19

Employee Spotlight - Carol A. Salazar

An avid strength trainer, Carol A. Salazar of the Financial Compliance group (FA-FC) has recently started competitive bodybuilding. Carol performed so well at her debut competition that she turned professional and plans to participate in the national bodybuilding championships in the near future. - 8/7/19

Employee Spotlight - Gary Parker

Gary R. Parker of the Explosive Applications and Special Projects (M-6) group loves to practice bouldering, a niche sport associated with rock climbing. Today, Gary uses his interests in photography and videography to map and introduce new sites to the bouldering community. - 5/28/19

Employee Spotlight - Katya Davydenko

Ekaterina Davydenko of Site Infrastructure & Programs Software loves all breeds of dogs but was drawn to working dogs. - 4/24/19

Employee Spotlight - Bill Priedhorsky

Bill Priedhorsky of Laboratory-Directed Research & Development enjoys hiking and exploring the outdoors. - 3/28/19

Employee Spotlight - Frederico “Cisco” Archuleta

Frederico “Cisco” Archuleta of Hazardous Materials Management plays acoustic and electric bass guitar for music genres such as country, folk and Spanish and mariachi music. - 2/26/19

Employee Spotlight: Benjamin Yeamans

Benjamin Yeamans of W88 Systems Engineering (W-4) volunteers at Atalaya Search and Rescue. A member of the technical rope rescue team, Ben helps rescue people trapped in difficult-to-access locations in the mountains of New Mexico. - 12/18/18

Employee Spotlight: Jocelyn Buckley

Determined to conquer her fear of flying, Jocelyn Buckley of Waste Management Programs (EPC-WMP) earned her private pilot’s license, bought her own plane, and now commutes to and from work every day. - 11/28/18

Employee Spotlight: Myles Cartelli

As a young man, Myles Cartelli of Weapons Fabrication Services (PF-WFS) learned welding, machining and fabricating. The skills he refined working at the Laboratory came in handy when he started modifying off-road vehicles for extreme sports such as rock crawling. - 10/30/18

Employee Spotlight: Michael E. Martinez

Growing up surrounded by a creative family, Michael E. Martinez (Q-6) began to draw and paint. Inspired by the diverse cultures in New Mexico, Michael soon found other outlets for his art, such as t-shirt designs, posters, and customized shoes. - 9/25/18

Employee Spotlight: James Robinson

As a kid, James Robinson of Investigations and Policy (ADMASER-IP) helped rehabilitate injured animals. This passion led him to help found the Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation, which raises funds to rehabilitate wild animals throughout New Mexico. - 8/29/18

Employee Spotlight: Donald DeChellis

Donald DeChellis of Metal Production (PT-1) is a speedrunner, a new type of video-gamer whose goal is to complete entire runs of videogames as quickly as possible. - 6/26/18

Employee Spotlight: Mari Roberson

For Mari Roberson of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), there’s nothing more exciting than riding at full gallop on her horse while popping balloon targets with her single-action revolver. - 5/29/18

Employee Spotlight: Sheryl Bailey

A theater director with more than 20 plays under her belt, Sheryl Bailey of the Acquisition Services Management Division Office (ASM-DO) has a passion for working on new plays, those not previously produced for the theater. - 4/24/18

Employee Spotlight: Tony Valdez

In a professional boxing career that has earned him eight wins, seven by knockout, Tony Valdez today trains the next generation of fighters at his own gym in Española, New Mexico. Tony's goal is to pass on the easy way what he learned the hard way. - 3/28/18

Employee Spotlight: Susan Tesch

A relative newcomer to the art of quilting, Susan Tesch uses her experience as an abstract painter to craft stunning images on quilts and other items, such as placemats. Susan plans to open a quilting business when she retires. - 2/27/18

Employee Spotlight: Maura Shuttleworth

A veteran of more than 70 competitions, powerlifter Maura Shuttleworth holds more than 20 records, 12 of which are New Mexico State Records. For Maura, powerlifting is more than competition-it's a journey where every day is a chance to get stronger and better. - 1/31/18

Employee Spotlight: Wilbert Weijer

Hailing from the Netherlands, Wilbert Weijer discovered the simplicity of music through singer-songwriter Neil Young. Today, Wilbert records and performs his distinct style of audio storytelling with just an acoustic guitar and his voice. - 12/6/17

Employee Spotlight: Robbie Harris

Robbie Harris of the Lean Six Sigma Office coaches the Los Alamos Little League Girls Softball Team, which in 2017 won the State Championship. Robbie’s secret to success: build self-esteem, foster teamwork, and most of all, have fun. - 10/31/17

Employee Spotlight: Hope Quintana

In May 2017, Hope Quintana of the Actinide Engineering and Science group (MET-1) earned the title of La Reina de la Fiesta de Santa Fe. Hope intends to bring la fiesta to those who cannot attend. - 8/28/17

Employee Spotlight: Doug Coombs

Douglas Coombs’ love of the outdoors led to a passion for landscape and wildlife photography. Doug’s camera lets him capture the scenery about him so that others hopefully see what he sees. - 8/28/17

Employee Spotlight: Vincent Campos

Vincent Campos of the Program Cost & Scheduling (MOF-PC-PCS) group creates retablos inspired by Catholic iconography but with a distinctly modern approach. - 7/25/17

Employee Spotlight: John Turon

John Turon of Weapons Product Definition spends his free time restoring vintage pinball games to their old glory. - 6/6/17

Employee Spotlight: Monique Vigil

As Queen of the Española Fiesta, Monique Vigil passes on traditions practiced since 1598, when Juan de Oñate y Salazar declared Española New Mexico’s first official capital. - 6/6/17

Employee Spotlight: Darrin Visarraga

Darrin Visarraga of the Information Systems and Modeling group discovered the beat- and groove-laden world of salsa. Now he teaches his passion to others. - 5/2/17

Employee Spotlight: Edward Jacquez

J Division Deputy Group Leader for DARHT Operations Edward Jacquez has always felt a need for speed. - 4/4/17

Employee Spotlight: Susan Suazo-Martinez

Susan has 1,500 “Lazy Spring” toys, garnering her inclusion into the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! - 2/28/17

Employee Spotlight: Todd Haagenstad

Todd Haagenstad of Environmental Programs introduced pétanque to his family and to northern New Mexico. The game is simple—all of you need is some dirt, boules and a pig. - 1/31/17

Employee Spotlight: Lawrence Garcia

A martial arts descendant of Bruce Lee, Lawrence Garcia remains soft-spoken and humble as he leads training classes in Jeet Kune Do, “the way of the intercepting fist.” - 12/12/16

Employee Spotlight: Ronnie Bell

Genre-mixing singer Ronnie Bell of the Nuclear Process Infrastructure Group (NPI-2) takes personal joy in reaching as many people as possible. ​ - 11/15/16

Employee Spotlight: Bill Purtymun

Whether he’s helping a hiker with altitude sickness or assisting with an airlift for an injured skier on Pajarito Mountain, EMT Bill Purtymun always finds “there’s gratification in working hard at work worth doing.” ​ - 10/18/16

Employee Spotlight: Jim Stein

In the “photographer’s paradise” around Los Alamos, Jim Stein finds drama in the landscape. - 9/20/16

Employee Spotlight: Laura McClellan

From shoring up floors to building a brand-new home in southern Africa, Laura McClellan spends much of her free time helping people in extreme poverty. - 8/23/16

Employee Spotlight: Melissa Montoya

Melissa Montoya mixes adobe bricks and high-tech fun to show kids the joys of math and science​ - 7/26/16

Employee Spotlight: Brad Lounsbury

“A labor of love” is how James “Brad” Lounsbury describes restoring cars on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. - 6/28/16

Employee Spotlight: Erica Larson Baron

A top trail-running racer nationally, Erica Erica Baron of Information Systems and Modeling (A-1) often figures out work problems on her daily training runs at the Laboratory. - 5/31/16

Employee Spotlight: Gene Ortega

​​Painting with a style that mixes chaos and refinement, Gene Ortega has found a way to blend his technical and artistic sides. - 5/4/16

If you map it, they will come

During her spare time, Lab engineer and endurance rider Deirdre Monroe helped make Santa Fe's Caja del Rio plateau more accessible for hikers, rock climbers, mountain bikers and equestrian trail riders. - 11/2/15

Dances of India

Lab scientist Alina Deshpande teaches classical Indian dance and writes, produces, directs and choreographs an annual benefit performance in Los Alamos. - 9/29/15

Enzyme detective

Molecular biology postdoc John Bacik studies enzymes that are key to biofuel production. - 8/25/15

Split-second decisions

When not at work, Leon Lopez referees high school and college basketball games. - 8/11/15

The power of yes

Hai Ah Nam is passionate about saying yes to opportunities, collaborations and new adventures, regardless of which profession one is in. - 7/28/15

Employee Spotlight: Michelle Ferran

The Lab’s Michelle Ferran used to stack her vibrant watercolor paintings under her bed. But when she finally gained enough confidence to participate in the Española Valley Arts Festival’s poster contest in 2001, one of her paintings immediately won first prize. - 6/30/15

World-class unicycling

The unicycle that Los Alamos student intern Max Schulze and his brother had given their dad for Father’s Day in 2005 did not get much use until Schulze tried it and got hooked. Today, he is a three-time unicycling world champion. - 6/9/15

A different kind of culture shock

Working with the Laboratory’s nuclear experimentalists provides the Theoretical Division’s Denise Neudecker with insights into their research, and she also looks to the experimentalists to shed light on previous approaches to nuclear experiments. - 5/18/15

Employee Spotlight: Jason Halladay

At 1:00 a.m. on a June 2014 trip, the Network and Infrastructure Engineering Division’s Jason Halladay and four of his rock climbing and mountaineering friends, including Aron Ralston of “127 hours” fame, step from a rental van into the darkness and howling winds of a barren parking lot 15,092 ft high in South America's Andes mountain range. - 5/4/15

Alessandro Cattaneo

The first time the Laboratory’s post-doctoral mechanical engineer Alessandro Cattaneo arrived in the United States from his native Italy, he was a regular tourist taking a road trip through the American West with three Italian friends. - 4/12/15

Employee Spotlight: Sim Balkey

The “kid who has the goods” has been quite busy lately. Just ahead of the MusicRow review he celebrated the release of his new CD, Messin’ Around, with a CD release party in Albuquerque on March 13, and before then he was in the national limelight performing in Nashville on February 24. - 4/6/15

Balancing family, pueblo life and a career

Denise Thronas lives in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo (formerly San Juan) and during her morning drive to Los Alamos often reflects on how the women in her family have balanced their family and community life with the ability to seek varying levels of education and earn a living. - 3/23/15

A gift for imagination

The Associate Directorate for Nuclear and High Hazard Operations’ Janice Lovato has turned her love for nature-watching and story-telling into writing a children’s book called Germaine the Beetle. - 3/10/15

What you can see from your driveway

The Physics Division’s Glen Wurden marvels at celestial objects 300 trillion kilometers (180 million trillion—or 180 quintillion—miles) from his house. - 2/18/15

Champion Chili

The Associate Directorate for Project Management’s Bryant Roybal has been a chile competition contestant ever since entering the Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights Cookoff in Red River in 2011 and immediately taking first prize. - 2/18/15

Murder mysteries with a twist of science

Chimeras is Giorgi’s first murder mystery, followed by Mosaics, and Gene Cards, a futuristic thriller that imagines a world without genetic privacy. - 2/18/15

Helping kids soar high

The Materials Science and Technology Division’s Amy Ross is a volunteer pilot and coordinator for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles Program. - 1/9/15

Photography worthy of the Smithsonian

One of Phil Noll’s photos received the honor of being shown at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. - 12/1/14

The shared experience of music

The Intelligence Analysis and Technology Division's Christina Martos Hilton studied opera with world-renowned opera singer Placido Domingo. - 11/5/14

Coaching soccer as a family affair

Angelo (A.J.) Herrera, by day a financial analyst in the Laboratory's Chief Financial Officer Division, was part of the U.S. Youth National Soccer Team from 1996 to 2000, including the Youth Olympics in Moscow, and today coaches soccer in his spare time. - 10/22/14

Helping hospice patients and their loved ones say good-bye

Sheila Armstrong of the X Theoretical Design Division began her Laboratory career in 1972 but in the 1990s took a break and trained to become a hospice volunteer. - 10/7/14

Growing Chimayó chile

As soon as Darleen Vigil comes home from a hard day’s work as a vendor liaison specialist in the Laboratory’s Network and Infrastructure Engineering Division, she heads into her garden to tend to her vegetables. - 9/23/14

The hobby that got out of hand

Ron Barber, a mechanical engineer in the Laboratory’s Accelerator Operations and Technology Division, combines his love of nature and open spaces with a personal interest in researching the astronomical knowledge of long-ago civilizations that once inhabited the American Southwest. - 9/9/14

New Mexico DNA Project

Michael Torrez, by day a research technologist in the Laboratory's Materials Physics and Applications Division, spends much of his free time researching New Mexico's family histories. - 8/26/14

Saving lives with nuclear energy

Jonathan (Jon) Engle, Reines Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow at the Laboratory, is helping lay the scientific groundwork for a new and improved cancer treatment that uses the energy produced by radioactive isotopes. - 8/14/14

Employee Spotlight: Jose Valdez

Find José Valdez in his garage, intensely focused on his hobby of refurbishing classic cars, preferably from the 1930s to early 1960s. - 6/24/14

Employee Spotlight: Kristen Honig

Honig realized that she wanted to document the beauty and destructiveness of wildfires and the sacrifices, challenges and camaraderie of the men and women protecting communities in the path of scorching blazes. - 6/24/14

Employee Spotlight: Dave Keller

From the end of March into early May, Keller and the Laboratory’s other wildlife biologists monitor the Mexican Spotted Owl’s population size and locations and record noteworthy changes. - 6/2/14

Employee Spotlight: Monika Bittman

Monika Bittman has wanted to be an artist ever since she was a little girl in Prague, Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. Today Bittman applies her creative eye and attention to detail in her work as a web designer at the Laboratory. - 6/2/14

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