LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — New Mexico Tech and Los Alamos National Laboratory marked the first scientific staff appointment under their cooperative agreement at a July 11 ceremony at the Laboratory and attended by NMT President Dr. Stephen Wells and Laboratory Director Thom Mason.

Appointee Dr. David Grow will work as an research and development engineer with the Laboratory’s Strategic Projects and Engineering division while also exploring collaboration opportunities and workforce pipeline development with NMT in the area of robotics.

(Pictured at right are (from left) Dr. David Grow, LANL Director Dr Thom Mason, and NMT President Dr. Stephen Wells.)

“Dr. Grow is an excellent selection for this first appointment,” Wells said. “Both New Mexico Tech and Los Alamos National Laboratories will benefit from his expertise. This appointment fits perfectly with the spirit of the agreement between our two institutions.”

Grow was previously an associate professor at NMT in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and he plans to train NMT students in aspects of his robotics work at the Laboratory. His appointment is part of a five-year agreement signed in October 2018, which provides staff from both institutions with reciprocal status from the other and unprecedented access to collaborative research.

“The joint appointment highlights the Laboratory’s strong relationship with New Mexico Tech,” said LANL Director Thom Mason. “This type of collaboration benefits both institutions and improves employment prospects for talented students in New Mexico by connecting them to cutting-edge research and high-quality jobs. I hope this is the first of many such appointments that support innovation and regional economic development.”

Building on the long history of cooperative research, and internships for NMT students at the Laboratory, the agreement also allows for academic appointments at NMT for Laboratory staff and scientific staff appointments at Los Alamos for UNM faculty.

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