Sandian named 'Scientist of the Year' by Hispanic organization

Sal Rodriguez’s interest in science was piqued when as a boy, he watched the lunar landing with his father, a migrant farm worker from Mexico who had immigrated to America in search of a better life for his family.

Flash forward decades, and Rodriguez is earning accolades for his own science research, which includes a design to make rockets more efficient.

After nearly 30 years at Sandia National Laboratories, Rodriguez, 60, was recently named “Scientist of the Year” by the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation, which recognizes the top scientists and engineers in the Hispanic community. He’s the first SNL scientist to receive the honor.

“It was like I wasn’t in my own skin. It was an out-of-body experience,” Rodriguez said of the recognition.

Rodriguez’s parents, though they had only limited formal education, encouraged their three children to strive for a high school diploma so they could have better career opportunities. Rodriguez said his father thought his children would either work on farms or join the military.

A native Spanish speaker, Rodriguez said he only knew about five words of English when he entered school. He started work on farms in southern California at age 12. He was paid 75 cents for every gopher that he killed because the rodents were destroying crops.

As a sophomore in high school, Rodriguez said the trajectory of his life changed when college students visited his school and gave him a pamphlet about a nuclear engineering program. He had already been taking advanced math classes.

“The word ‘nuclear’ just sounded outstanding, something mysterious,” he said. “So it was almost like mysterious math.”

He went to college to study nuclear engineering. He approached school with a “do or die” mentality.

“I’m not getting out of here. Either I’m dead or I have my degree,” he said.

Rodriguez ultimately earned three master’s degrees and two doctorates. He has been published 240 times and has multiple patents and copyrights.

Some of his achievements that led him to earn his latest award included his work with small module reactors, which are nuclear reactors that are smaller than regular reactors. Rodriguez has traveled to Estonia and Slovenia to talk to officials about using them as an energy source.

Rodriguez is also an expert in fluid dynamics. His recent research has led him to use dimpling — like the dimples on a golf ball — to make rockets, vehicles or other aircraft more efficient.

He’s also an expert in the field of refractory high entropy alloys. He described the complex substance like the antagonist from “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” because the character is made up of liquid metal that can heal itself. The technology could have a multitude of aerospace applications, Rodriguez said.

“Sal’s selection as Scientist of the Year is a huge honor, not only for Sal, but for Sandia as well. Sal is a tremendous role model and I’m excited for him to give his acceptance speech at HENAAC in October where hundreds of college students will be able to hear Sal’s message of perseverance,” said Roberta Rivera, the chair of Sandia’s Hispanic Outreach for Leadership & Awareness program. “Sal’s work has not only had a huge impact on his life but on the work that Sandia does. ”

As his career has progressed, Rodriguez has tried to give back to the community. He remembers how his life changed when those college students gave him a pamphlet about nuclear engineering.

“If I had never bumped into them, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “I’d be on a farm or something. And so ... I’m eternally grateful.”

He created a Sandia science club at Manzano Mesa Elementary School where young children are introduced to science through fun experiments. He also has worked with the MANO Project, which stands for My Access to Network Opportunities. The goal of the project is to connect, build and develop young leaders of color.

“I want other kids to enjoy the trip that I’ve had,” he said. “Science is fun. It’s very useful and ... you can do cool things with it. And hopefully (I) get them all excited about (science, technology, engineering and math) careers.”

He works with children, he said, because he wants them to achieve their full potential.

His family is representative of the American Dream, Rodriguez said. His parents immigrated here illegally, though they ultimately became citizens, to give their family a better life. Rodriguez is now one of the premier Hispanic scientists in the country, and he has three children in high school and college who are also pursuing STEM degrees.

What does he tell the young students he mentors?

“You have this opportunity to be something big. Don’t waste it. A lot of people died coming to this country, seeking the American Dream,” he said. “The biggest gift my dad and mom ever gave me is U.S. citizenship through birth.”