ABQ Times

Sandia National Laboratories' Fellow Tina Nenoff has been elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), as announced by the academy on December 10, 2024. The NAI is an organization that includes universities and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 2,000 fellows. Among them are Sandia engineer Babu Chalamala and former Sandia Fellow Jeff Brinker. According to the academy, being elected as an NAI Fellow is considered the highest professional distinction for academic inventors.

The academy was founded in 2010 with a mission to recognize and encourage inventors who have patents issued by the Patent and Trademark Office. It aims to enhance the visibility of foundational and applied technology and innovation while translating members' inventions for societal benefit.

"I am very honored and humbled by being recognized as a Fellow of NAI," Nenoff said. "I have had a long career moving between Technology Readiness Levels: using fundamental science knowledge in mission programs or optimizing applied projects by going back to the atomic-scale fundamental science. This has allowed me to build a strong IP portfolio, resulting in the licensing of patents and even some commercial products."

Nenoff's recognition is attributed to her innovative research on nano-scale sponges and sieves known as metal-organic frameworks and crystalline silico-titanate. Her work ranges from understanding their fundamental properties to applying them to critical challenges such as cleaning up radioactive water from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, as well as reducing water demands in conventional power plants.

Her extensive research record includes publishing more than 190 peer-reviewed articles, four book chapters, and being awarded 17 U.S. patents. She has received numerous professional recognitions including election as a member of the National Academy of Engineering, fellowships with both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society, along with receiving the Society of Women Engineers’ highest honor, the Achievement Award.

Recognizing her technical expertise, Nenoff was appointed science advisor to National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator Jill Hruby in March 2023. This two-year appointment also involves serving under Secretary for Nuclear Security at the Department of Energy.