Two 2025 Danny Nichols and Dennis Huddleston Memorial Scholarship recipients pose with leadership from HII, N3B and BWXT following their recognition at an awards ceremony at the Waste Management 2025 Symposia in Phoenix on March 10. Left to right, Michael Lempke, President of HII Global Security, Robert Edwards, N3B ESH&Q Program Manager, Brad Smith, N3B President and General Manager, Jaide Romero, student, Atalia Archuleta, student, Nichole Lundgard, N3B EN&S and Program Manager and Heatherly Dukes, President of BWXT Technical Services Group. Courtesy/N3B
Jaide Romero (center) Atalia Archuleta (right) visit with Heatherly Dukes (left), President of BWXT Technical Services Group, at the BWXT booth at the Waste Management Symposia 2025. Courtesy/N3B
N3B News:
Three students from Northern New Mexico have been awarded the 2025 Danny Nichols and Dennis Huddleston Memorial Scholarships, sponsored by Newport News Nuclear BWXT Los Alamos (N3B), the contractor responsible for cleaning up legacy waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), with parent companies HII and BWX Technologies (BWXT) and critical subcontractors Longenecker & Associates (L&A) and Tech 2 Solutions (T2S) and in coordination with the Roy G. Post Foundation.
This year’s scholarship recipients are Atalia Archuleta and Jaide Romero, both students at Northern New Mexico College (NNMC), and Paul Alcazar, a student at the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos (UNM-LA). Each student will receive a $9,000 scholarship to support their pursuit of degrees that align with careers in environmental remediation and other fields contributing to the ongoing cleanup mission at LANL. The recipients, along with over fifty other Roy G. Post Foundation scholarship winners, were recognized during an awards ceremony March 10 at the Waste Management Symposia (WMS) in Phoenix, Arizona—an international conference focused on radioactive waste management and environmental remediation. WMS participants attended the ceremony to honor the students, including leadership from N3B, HII, BWXT, L&A and T2S.
“These students represent the future of our industry and the important work we do to protect the environment,” N3B President and General Manager Brad Smith said. “Supporting their education is an investment in both their future and the continued success of the cleanup mission at Los Alamos. We’re proud to support them as they work toward their degrees.”
Scholarship winners
Archuleta is pursuing a degree in Project Management at NNMC. As a Northern New Mexico resident, she is motivated to help create a safe place for the community and the environment by applying her skills to the impactful work of cleanup.
Romero is pursuing her degree in Electromechanical Engineering at NNMC and reports, “It is obvious to me it is my calling in life.” Jaide would like to apply her education to improve the safety of workers in the cleanup of hazardous waste.
Alcazar is studying for his associate’s degree in science with a focus on chemistry at the University of New Mexico – Los Alamos. Paul has found a passion for chemistry, and he would like to dedicate his knowledge to discovering new ways to support the cleanup of historical hazardous waste.
Scholarship details
The scholarship honors the lives of longtime environmental professionals Danny Nichols and Dennis Huddleston. Both had distinguished careers working at Department of Energy Environmental Management sites across the U.S., including in New Mexico.
The scholarship is intended to encourage students to consider careers in environmental remediation, energy, or radioactive and hazardous waste management. The scholarship requires an essay on applying a student’s area of study to the environmental cleanup field, a personal essay, and the completion of at least fifteen credit hours. For other requirements and details on applying, students at UNM-LA and NNMC interested in applying for the 2026 scholarship should watch for information from their school’s financial aid office this fall.
Atalia Archuleta (center) and Jaide Romero (right) with Brad Smith (left), N3B President and General Manager at the opening reception for the start of the Waste Management Symposia 2025. Courtesy/N3B

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