Sandra K. Begay is an American/Navajo Nation mechanical engineer who designs research and development systems at

Sandia National Laboratories Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), also known as Sandia, is one of three research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Headquartered in Kirtland Air Force Ba ...

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

. In 2020, she was honored by the

American Indian Science and Engineering Society The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional association with the goal of substantially increasing American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, First Nation and other ...

's Indigenous Excellence Award. She is known for her work expanding energy access through alternative and renewable solutions for remote tribal members on the

Navajo Reservation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native Americans in the United States, Native American Indian reservation, reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwe ...

Education

Begay earned her BS in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

from the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

(UNM) and her MS in

structural engineering Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to design the 'bones and muscles' that create the form and shape of man-made structures. Structural engineers also must understand and cal ...

from

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

. Begay chose Stanford for its noted American Indian community. She has been honored as the 2000 Stanford Alumni of the Year, 2005 UNM Distinguished Alumnus, and 2007 UNM Zia Alumnus.

Career

She has worked at major US government laboratories including the Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, and Sandia National Laboratories. In the early 2000s, Begay worked to provide local solar renewable energy systems to remote members of the Navajo Nation, working through the Department of Energy Tribal Program, helping the Nation to bring power to hundreds of members. Of her work with the program, Begay said "I get to work with my own native people. I give them a new way to think about having electricity. It's very nurturing." Begay is known for her mentorship to American Indian engineering students, particularly in the energy sector. Previous interns in programs she has developed have spoken highly of her support and teaching, and many are now highly regarded industry professionals. In 2009, Begay was honored by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society's Ely S. Parker Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020, she was also selected as a laureate of the Society's Indigenous Excellence professional award. Begay was also previously executive director of the society. At the University of New Mexico, Begay was appointed to the Board of Regents by

Michelle Lujan Grisham Michelle Lynn Lujan Grisham (; born October 24, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 32nd governor of New Mexico since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, Lujan Grisham previously served as the U.S. representative for N ...

in 2019, and also currently chairs the Rainforest Innovations program. In 2019, she took a leave of absence from Sandia to serve as director of the Environmental Health Department of Albuquerque for mayor Tim Keller.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Begay, Sandra University of New Mexico alumni Stanford University alumni American women engineers Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Sandia National Laboratories people 21st-century American women