Spotlight: The Scope of Yamali Hernandez's Impact at NCNR and NIST

Know much about neutrons? The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) uses the tiny but highly penetrating particles to make all sorts of measurements. Scientists from academia, industry and government come to the facility for its state-of-the-art neutron measurement instruments.  

That’s where NIST’s Yamali Hernandez thrives.  

At NCNR, Yamali leads a team that provides scientists with the laboratory facilities and equipment they need for their experiments and helps them prepare their samples. She also manages the proposal process, which is the primary method by which researchers secure time in the neutron facilities.  

But she doesn’t stop with the current research community. Yamali also turns her attention to the next generation of great scientists, leading the charge on three fronts:  

1. She served as the leader for education and outreach activities for Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering (CHRNS), a partnership between NIST and the National Science Foundation (NSF) that provides neutron scattering capabilities to university scientists. In this role, Yamali organized summer schools for graduate students and other early-career scientists for more than a decade.   

2. She helped oversee opportunities for high school and undergraduate students at NCNR and launched what has grown into the NIST-wide Summer High School Intern Program.

3. She organizes a research experience for high school teachers so that they can develop programs for their students.

Her accomplishments were recently recognized by the Neutron Scattering Society of America with a special service award in honor of her contributions to neutron education and outreach. Join us in celebration of her achievements!