Nidia Gallego

Nidia C Gallego

Distinguished Staff Scientist

Nidia C. Gallego is a Distinguished R&D Staff in the Physical Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Her research interests include: thermal physical properties of carbon materials; carbon materials for space applications, development and characterization of porous carbon materials for gas separation and energy storage applications, low-cost carbon fibers; high-performance carbon fibers and graphite foams for thermal management applications; and effects of neutron damage on the structure and properties of graphite; Dr. Gallego received her MSc and PhD from Clemson University and is the author of over 140 publications. She is an active member of the American Carbon Society, where she served as the Secretary/Treasurer (July 2004-July 2010), and now serves in the Executive Committee. She has organized several workshops on behalf of the American Carbon Society, and has served on the organizing and technical committees of the International Carbon Conferences. She has been active in the Oak Ridge Chapter of ASM international, where she served as Chapter Chair 2004-2005. In 2021 she received The Secretary of Energy Achievement Award in recognition of the contributions to the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Radioisotope Power System (RPS).  In 2004 she received the UT-Battelle Science and Technology, Early Career Award, “For exceptional potential for leadership in applied materials engineering and for exemplary early career accomplishments”. In 2009 she received the Outstanding Mentor Award from the US DOE Office of Science. In 2011 Dr. Gallego was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Grant that allow her to be a visiting scholar for two months at the Universidad del Valle in Colombia. She is a member of the team that received the 2012 UT-Battelle Engineering Research & Development Award. She is an active member of the Hispanic Latino American Committee and the Committee for Women at ORNL.

• American Carbon Society:
Member Executive Committee (July 2016 - present).
Member Advisory Board (July 2010 – July 2016);
Secretary / Treasurer (July 2004 – July 2010).

• 2021 The Secretary of Energy Achievement Award in recognition of the contributions to the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Radioisotope Power System (RPS)

• 2020 SEA (Significant Event Award) for contributions to the ORNL RPS program in support of the Mars 2020 mission

• 2018 SEA (Significant Event Award) for contributions to the ORNL work in support of the Parker Solar Probe Project – SPP with John Hopkins University

• 2015 SEA (Significant Event Award) for the discovery of crown ethers in graphene – Publication Nature Communications

• 2014 SEA (Significant Event Award) for organizing ORNL’s ‘Take your child to work Day’

• 2012 UT-Battelle Science and Technology, Engineering Research and Development, Team Award

• 2011 Fulbright Scholar

• 2010 Special Recognition Award from the American Carbon Society

• 2009 Outstanding Mentor Award from the US DOE Office of Science

• 2007 Recognition for Outstanding Leadership from the American Carbon Society

• 2004 UT-Battelle Science and Technology, Early Career Award

• Member of the Technical Committee, Carbon 2010: International Conference on Carbon, American Carbon Society, Clemson, SC, July 2010

• Member of International Energy Agency (IEA) Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (HIA) Tasks 17 and 22 – Fundamental and applied hydrogen storage materials development, Lead of project N2: Effect of metal doping on the hydrogen storage capacity of activated carbon fibers (2003 – 2010).

• Member Organizing Committee, Carbon ’07: International Conference on Carbon, American Carbon Society, Seattle, WA, July 2007

• Oak Ridge Chapter of ASM International: Chair (2004-2005); Vice-chair (2003-2004); Secretary (2002-2003); events coordinator (2001-2002).

• Co-organizer of Educational Symposium “The Hydrogen Future” – March 2003

• Co-organizer of 4th Annual Carbon Foam Workshop –October 2002