Elevating engineering

“Engineering is fundamental to all research at Los Alamos,” says Holly Trellue, who coordinates Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Engineering Leadership Council (ELC). Established in 2020, “the ELC helps us work together toward a common purpose, increase the visibility of engineering at the Lab, and improve our engineers’ quality of life,” Trellue explains.

More than 3,500 Los Alamos employees hold engineering degrees, the majority of them in mechanical, electrical, nuclear, or chemical engineering. “Our engineering capabilities are crucial to achieving the national security mission and providing the expertise to apply scientific research to solving real-world challenges,” Trellue says.

The ELC’s goals include establishing common processes for engineering design, review, execution, and verification. “Developing standards and best practices streamlines engineering projects and provides flexible guidance,” says Jose Parga Jr., leader of the ELC’s common process subcommittee. “This allows us to ensure all the pieces that make up the Lab’s work fit together and operate properly.”

Among the ELC’s first projects was building an Engineer’s Handbook to connect Lab engineers to resources and information. “The handbook, which is still in development, is a compass for every engineer at the Lab,” says engineer Nels Webber, who has helped create the document. “It offers the tools, insights, and resources for navigating challenges and growing professionally.”

One of the ELC’s recent accomplishments was establishing the Engineering Innovation Hub to facilitate collaboration for mentoring and brainstorming. The Hub is a free-to-use laboratory with state-of-the-art design and prototyping capabilities, including laser cutters, 3D printers, and other equipment. “When you get a creative idea, you need to have somewhere to apply it,” Trellue says.

The Hub is also home to design sprints, structured programs in which participants tackle multidisciplinary engineering problems. “So far, we have held two sprints, giving engineers the opportunity to work together across different organizations and disciplines, engage in technical work outside the scope of their day-to-day commitments, and think of new ideas and creative plans,” Trellue says.

Lab leaders say they are pleased with the ELC and the work it is doing to attract and retain engineering talent. “The ELC and its activities are advancing the engineering pipeline,” says Don Quintana, former acting associate Laboratory director for Weapons Engineering. “It’s a win-win.” ★