New director discusses future of Sandia National Laboratories in introductory speech to lab workforce

On his first day as the new director of Sandia National Laboratories, Steve Younger stated in a speech to the lab’s workforce that it would maintain its strong missions in nuclear deterrence, nuclear nonproliferation, energy, and national security.

“I see those continuing. However, are in what I call a strategic time, a rapidly changing time,” Younger said. “Sandia will maintain its flexibility in responding to that somewhat uncertain future. It is going to be an exciting future for the lab as we respond to upcoming national needs.”

Younger also said that the lab is pursuing exciting technology with the hopes of expanding some areas of its operations. Specifically, he discussed the lab’s work into microelectronics fabrication, high-energy-density physics at the lab’s Z machine, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing.

Prior to his time at Sandia, Younger served with various research agencies such as the Nevada National Security Site, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Younger’s appointment comes in the wake of a recent decision by the National Nuclear Security Administration that the laboratories’ management would be contracted to National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. Honeywell succeeded Lockheed Martin as the laboratories’ third manager since its inception.

Sandia is currently responsible for more than 95 percent of all non-nuclear components and for maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile, which is continually going through modernization processes.