Navajo Technical University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Energy Collaborate to Open Pathways to Careers in Clean Hydrogen

In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) is pleased to highlight its ongoing support of Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL) partnership with Navajo Technical University (NTU)—the largest tribal college in the United States—to increase opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, particularly for hydrogen fuel cell applications.

NTU offers a range of academic STEM opportunities through its School of Science, School of Applied Technology, and School of Engineering, Math, and Technology. LANL has worked with NTU for more than seven years to build curricula through DOE's Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Partnership Program. The current partnership with HFTO began in 2021, as part of a hydrogen-focused MSI program to enable direct collaboration between LANL staff and scholars on hydrogen and fuel cell research. Through a pilot program exclusive to NTU, HFTO provided $200,000 for equipment purchases and stipends to establish the HFTO Native American Fellowship.

"The future of the clean energy economy can be found in laboratories and lecture halls across the nation," said HFTO director Dr. Sunita Satyapal. "Finding ways to support minority-serving institutions like Navajo Technical University and create academic pathways for career opportunities in hydrogen fuel cell technology is a crucial part of our work."

Currently, there are seven NTU students and two professors working on additive manufacturing and fuel cell research as part of this collaboration. NTU plans to host LANL staff during the 2024 spring semester to showcase new electro-chemical equipment provided by HFTO.

"The resources provided by HFTO have made it possible to build and align NTU's capabilities with LANL in order to better train students for research opportunities in advanced manufacturing and energy-related research," noted Tommy Rockward, a research scientist in the Materials, Physics, and Applications Group at LANL. "NTU's participation in this collaboration has given its students and faculty new perspectives of ongoing efforts in clean energy, particularly within the hydrogen and fuel cell community."

Located in Crownpoint, New Mexico, with additional instruction sites in Arizona and New Mexico, NTU was chartered in 1979 and designated as a land grant college in 1994. It is one of the leading institutions of higher education in the nation, providing a unique balance between science and technology and culture and tradition.