Nicole Piontek Exit Presentation Summer 2020
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Internship↗
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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UNF On Demand Manufacturing of Mutlimaterials PI
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education↗
Education Highlights: Synthetic Nanoparticles
Argonne intern Francesca Gambacorta from University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign worked with Argonne mentor Phil Laible and Postdoctoral mentor Martyna Michalska to study how black silicon, a synthetic nanomaterial, kills bacteria. This research will help scientists predict other applications of this material in the biomedical field. Argonne aims to develop the next generation of scientists, researchers, and engineers by mentoring over 300 undergraduate and graduate students a year from over 40 STEM majors in over 15 different career development programs. Students come from over 160 colleges and universities in 41 states and 15 countries.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Education Highlights: Food-Energy-Water Nexus
Argonne intern Shanterell Redd from Tougaloo College worked with Argonne mentor Emily Zvolanek in studying the food-energy-water-women nexus in Egypt and Jordan. This research will help scientists determine sustainable ways in which women in developing countries gather and use non-renewable resources.
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
Education Highlights: Energy Storage
Argonne intern Jose Santillan from University of Minnesota worked with Argonne mentor Javier Bareno in studying lithium-ion battery separators using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. This research will help scientists make lithium-ion batteries for energy storage last longer for less cost.
25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
Digital Engineering & Data Acquisition
This is an Intern Poster submission regarding my research in the digital engineering team. My task was to create a software adapter to communicate between a data acquisition system (LabVIEW) and a data warehouse (Deep Lynx) as described in the poster.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
Activities at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to Advance Nuclear Radiation Science among Underrepresented STEM Students
The Partnership for Radiation Studies (PaRS) consortium is a collaboration between two minority-serving institutions and two U.S. national laboratories. The five-year consortium is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and it aims enhance workforce of underrepresented students in STEM disciplines. PaRS’ long-term goal is to train students for their prospective hiring in DOE laboratories and sites. As one of the two integral national laboratory partners, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is playing an integral role in achieving this goal via pertinent lectures, seminars, hands-on trainings, and outreach activities. This paper summarizes PNNL’s key activities and initiatives to train the next generation of underrepresented students in STEM disciplines.
Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program,↗
NUTRON NESHAPs Dashboard
My project aims to enhance the Nuclear Material Tracking Application (NUTRON) software by integrating a tool for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) emissions calculations and presenting this data on a dashboard. Inefficiencies in the current NESHAP calculation process were addressed, which will result in more timely regulatory compliance efforts. Key improvements include revising the transfer request system, incorporating effective dose calculations, and developing a data visualization dashboard into NUTRON. The project involved creating a wireframe, preparing an Engineering Calculations and Analysis Report (ECAR), stakeholder meetings, and providing supplemental documentation. Key findings indicate that the proposed modifications will streamline the NESHAP calculation process, reduce human error, and provide REC personnel with accurate and timely data for material use determinations and dose estimations. Future work focuses on completing the NUTRON modifications and fully integrating the new features, ensuring a more efficient and reliable system for tracking and reporting nuclear material transfers.
99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
Systems Innovation: Modernization & Efficiencies for ESH&Q Reviews
Environmental compliance reviews at INL have traditionally been managed through fragmented systems, relying on multiple spreadsheets and manual processes. This inefficiency led to time-consuming status updates and redundant tasks, such as manually sending reminder emails and transferring data from Excel to the Environmental Review Process (ERP). Initial attempts to streamline these processes using Power Automate and Excel revealed significant limitations, necessitating a more comprehensive solution. To address these immediate inefficiencies, automated workflows were developed using Power Automate. These workflows were designed to send scheduled status update reminders and capture responses through standardized forms, with submitted data flowing directly into centralized Excel trackers. This automation reduced the administrative burden, improved data accuracy, and enabled faster, more consistent reporting. Specifically, email automation achieved a 65% efficiency gain, while data integration saw a 48% improvement, resulting in 91% of project statuses being updated within two months. Despite the improvements brought by Power Automate, the fragmented nature of the review processes persisted. To further enhance efficiency and accuracy, the Integrated Review Tool (IRT) was developed. The IRT aims to centralize review initiation and connect team systems, creating an interconnected data infrastructure that preserves team autonomy while enhancing overall efficiency. This tool automates email reminders, centralizes reviews, and streamlines data integration, significantly improving the accuracy and efficiency of environmental compliance reviews. The design and development of the IRT involved advanced systems methodology, process mapping, project management, and collaboration with subject matter experts. The minimum viable product design is 100% complete, and system development is currently underway, with expected outcomes including a centralized entry point for all ESH&Q reviews, automated routing, real-time tracking and analytics, AI integration, and a user-friendly interface. This project demonstrates the potential of leveraging automation and integrated systems to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making in environmental reporting and compliance processes at INL.
99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗