Projects with PNNL Ties Earn Secretary’s Honor Awards

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was recognized for its significant contributions to several projects at the fiscal year 2024 Secretary’s Honor Awards Ceremony on January 8, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

The annual Secretary’s Honor Awards are among the highest form of internal, non-monetary recognition that Department of Energy (DOE) federal and contractor employees can receive. 

“The Secretary’s Honor Awards are bestowed on a select group of individuals who have gone above and beyond, and whose creativity, drive, and commitment have significant and lasting impact,” states the awards program for the event at DOE headquarters in the James Forrestal Building. “This impressive cadre of professionals confront the challenges associated with the Department’s missions head-on every day.”

Read more about the PNNL awardees below.

Exascale Computing Project Team

James Ang, PNNL chief scientist for computing, and Mahantesh Halappanavar, a PNNL chief data scientist, were among the contributors to the Exascale Computing Project Leadership Team, which was recognized for delivering the Exascale Computing Project, a seven-year, $1.8 billion collaboration among DOE national laboratories to create the world’s first sustainable exascale ecosystem. Nearly 3,000 multidisciplinary researchers and staff were funded over the project's duration, resulting in the development and enhancement of 25 scientific application codes to provide breakthrough simulation results on exascale computers. Additionally, over 70 software technology products were delivered in an integrated package widely used by the high-performance computing community.

Transportation Blueprint Team

Matteo Muratori, PNNL director of transportation and industry programs, was a key contributor to the Transportation Blueprint Team. The team, comprised of several federal agencies, including DOE, developed the first-ever blueprint for energy and emissions innovation across the entire transportation sector. The blueprint, released in 2023, has become the critical guidepost for the United States of America’s action and has been cited globally as a landmark strategy. The blueprint’s action plans, released in 2025, provide the next level of detail needed to implement the actions and milestones identified through in-depth technical analysis and extensive industry and stakeholder input. 

WESTWORLD

WESTWORLD is a DOE multi-laboratory consortium which was initiated seven years ago to address the nation’s critical energy infrastructure cybersecurity challenges. The consortium consists of personnel from PNNL, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Nevada National Security Site, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and DOE. A total of 20 PNNL staff were honored as part of this critically impactful consortium.

The Secretary’s Honor Awards are only one way PNNL's work and people have been recognized over the years. PNNL’s scientific discoveries and technological advances have been honored with numerous other awards that acknowledge the Lab’s commitment to excellence. To read about some of PNNL's other awards, click here: https://www.pnnl.gov/awards.