Sandia researcher Stan Atcitty named IEEE fellow

Sandia National Laboratories Senior Scientist Stan Atcitty has been named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), one of the world’s largest technical professional organizations.

Atcitty’s research focuses on power electronics needed to integrate energy storage and distributed generation with the electric utility grid. Six of his projects have won R&D 100 awards and one Gold Green Energy award from Research & Development magazine.

Less than 0.1% of IEEE voting members are selected as fellows annually after a rigorous evaluation process. Atcitty, a member of the Navajo Nation, leads the power electronics subprogram as part of the Department of Energy Office of Electricity’s Energy Storage Program within the Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Grid Modernization Center at Sandia. Atcitty also leads the Tribal Energy Storage Program and the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Minority Serving Institute Partnership Program, working with tribal colleges and universities.

“I’m thankful and honored to be recognized by the IEEE community,” Atcitty said. “What this does is allow us to further enhance power electronics research and development for energy storage systems in the nation and throughout the world. It also allows me to take some of my national and international influence to increase tribal energy sovereignty, enabling tribes to become more self-determinate nations.”

In 2012, President Barack Obama presented Atcitty with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the federal government for outstanding scientists and engineers who show exceptional leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge during the 21st century.

Atcitty received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from New Mexico State University in 1993 and 1995, respectively. In 2006, he became the first American Indian male to receive a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Virginia Tech University.