UNM-Los Alamos hosts Mechanical Engineer Dr. Mario Velardi for Career Talk Oct. 23

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. - UNM-Los Alamos' (UNM-LA) next "A Day in the Life Of …" speaker is Mario Velardi, Ph.D., a mechanical engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The talk will take place Thursday, Oct. 23, from 2-3 p.m. on the UNM-LA campus in room 203 as well as via Zoom. Community members are welcome to attend. Los Alamos High School students are encouraged to participate during their WIN time via Zoom.

Velardi's job consists of coordinating evaluations to determine the defects or degradation that might have occurred on plutonium pits selected from the stockpile. His work spans everything from disassembly and characterization of critical components to helping shape manufacturing and testing processes - often working across teams, disciplines and organizations.

Originally from Italy, Mario came to the U.S. for graduate school and stayed after discovering a series of professional opportunities that matched his curiosity and drive to grow. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University and has worked in both industry and academia.

The new career development series titled "A Day in the Life Of …" is a six-week series that introduces different speakers from various career backgrounds. The series will take place every Thursday from 2-3 p.m., ending Nov. 20.

The following is the rest of the "A Day in the Life Of …" speaker lineup:

• Oct. 30: Speaker TBD, Los Alamos Fire Department
• Nov. 6: Rangers Jordan Ray and Adam Dean, Valles Caldera National Park Service
• Nov. 13: Susie Edwards, RN, and Elizabeth Ortega, RN, LA Visiting Nurses
• Nov. 20: Josh Stringer and Matt Schmidt, Los Alamos Schools Credit Union

Interested parties can visit losalamos.unm.edu/community/a-day-in-the-life-of.html for updates. Those who want a Zoom link can email Brittany Carpenter at [email protected].