Heeho Park, a principal technical staff member and scientist at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, understands the benefits of resiliency, adaptability, and innovation. These traits became essential to Park as he completed his education and continues to develop his career.

This spring, Park had the opportunity to attend specialized training on commercializing his research, by participating in the 2025 National Laboratories Education Academy (NLEA). Offered by the UC Davis Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, this annual four-day in-person event provides intensive training for select researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab and Sandia National Labs. Participants like Park gain valuable knowledge and industry connections to identify, design, and validate the market potential of their research.

Park said attending NLEA was highly beneficial. “The Academy not only helped me understand how scientific methodologies can be transformed into impactful, real-world applications, but it also made me realize what it takes to scale research outcomes for broader impact.” He said the academy significantly expanded the market opportunities for the intellectual property (IP) he develops at Sandia. 

Resilience and Adaptability

Park immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 2002 and became a U.S. citizen in 2013. After graduating with training in nuclear engineering, he intended to pursue a Ph.D. However, the Fukushima nuclear disaster had just occurred, which led to a significant downturn in the industry as governments and companies scaled back their investments in nuclear energy. 

As a result, Park’s acceptance in the Ph.D. program was abruptly rescinded due to funding cutbacks at the Department of Energy. “During that time, I taught myself web development, learned multiple programming languages, and even attempted to start a company based on my ideas,” Park said. “Although the venture didn’t succeed, the experience was invaluable.”

Despite his difficulties, this became a turning point that led to opportunity. Park took a position at Sandia - Carlsbad, home to the nation’s only active deep geologic nuclear waste repository, where he develops safe nuclear waste storage solutions and explores geologic hydrogen as a future energy source. “Despite the challenges facing the nuclear industry, the safe removal and storage of nuclear waste has remained a critical need,” Park said. His role at Sandia has allowed him to contribute meaningfully to national interests, and he said he is proud to work in an environment that values innovation. 

Additionally, Park is passionate about contributing to the development of abundant and accessible energy solutions for all nations. He now serves as principal investigator for a project developing gas transport models to support the efficient extraction of geologic hydrogen. 

“I am so excited about my research on geologic hydrogen, a theoretically abundant energy source found naturally on Earth,” Park said. “My work involves investigating methods to identify large underground reserves, exploring ways to chemically stimulate rocks to produce hydrogen, and developing efficient technologies for extraction.” He added, “By advancing this research, I aim to contribute to a future where energy scarcity is no longer a driver of conflict.” He is actively seeking new funding opportunities and is exploring ways to contribute to other programs.

“I believe our IP holds immense potential for revolutionizing the geo-energy industry,” Park said. “NLEA has provided me with the knowledge and tools to navigate the path toward realizing its success." 

Learn more about the National Laboratories Entrepreneurship Academy.