Paul Alcazar (third from left) poses with N3B leadership in front of his award-winning poster at the Waste Management Symposia 2026. From left: Mark Lesinkski, N3B Executive Officer, Sean Sandborgh, N3B Director Sample/Data Management, Paul Alcazar and Robert Edwards, N3B ESH&Q Program Manager. Photo Courtesy N3B
N3B NEWS RELEASE
N3B continues to attract some of the best talent in the nuclear and environmental management industry. Paul Alcazar, an intern for Newport News Nuclear BWXT Los Alamos (N3B), was named the overall winner of the Undergraduate Student Technical Poster Competition at the prestigious 52nd Annual Waste Management Symposia (WM2026), held March 8-12 in Phoenix, Arizona.
“Paul joined N3B’s Sample and Data Management team last summer as an enthusiastic and inquisitive intern,” said Dr. Sean Sanborgh, N3B director of Sample and Data Management. “Although his project on radiochemistry detection limits is very advanced for a student early in his chemistry degree, Paul learned to apply advanced statistics and analytical concepts to make significant contributions in this area. Paul is already working on additional lines of research that resulted from his original study, and I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Alcazar’s relationship with N3B started in March 2025 when he was awarded the Danny Nichols and Dennis Huddleston Memorial Scholarship, which helped him begin college at the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos, where he is studying chemistry.
N3B hired Alcazar as an intern in June 2025, which is when Dr. Sandborgh and Corey White, an N3B chemist, recognized his talent and ambition and took him under their wing. During his internship, Alcazar submitted a technical research paper for review by the organizers of the Waste Management Symposia. Based on his research, Alcazar was invited to present his paper at a technical poster session for the undergraduate student competition at WM2026. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
“Paul is truly an outstanding young professional, and we are pleased to assist him in gaining significant experience in the field of nuclear and environmental cleanup,” said N3B President and General Manager Brad Smith. “I am encouraged about the young talent that is joining the workforce. I am also extremely proud of Paul and all he and the N3B team achieved.”
Alcazar’s research paper and poster are titled “Considerations When Using Critical Level for Determination of Detection Status in Radioanalytical Samples.” The undergraduate’s research involved detecting the critical levels of radionuclides in waste samples at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Detection levels indicate whether a specific radionuclide is present and are essential for monitoring and remediating sites where accurate characterization of low-level radioactivity is necessary for environmental, commercial, or residential decision-making.
Poster sessions are a key component of academic conferences or annual meetings, providing an important opportunity for researchers at all career levels to present and discuss their work with others in their field.
Other N3B employees involved in the research effort included William Donaldson, Dr. John Garrett, Paul Mark, Helen Westbrook, and Corey White.
WM2026 brings together global experts to promote safe, cost-effective solutions for managing radioactive materials and decommissioning nuclear facilities. The week-long event features over 2,500 attendees, 900 organizations, 30 countries, and 200 exhibitors who share insights, address key challenges, and explore innovative solutions
Newport News Nuclear BWXT Los Alamos (N3B) is a limited liability company owned by HII Nuclear and BWX Technologies. N3B manages the $2.1 billion, 10-year Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract for the U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office.