NETL’s Ruishu Wright has been selected as an honoree for the prestigious 2025 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals in the Emerging Leader category for her groundbreaking work developing novel sensor technologies aimed at monitoring critical infrastructure and preventing catastrophic failures.

The “Sammies,” known as the Oscars of public service, recognize dedicated federal employees who have made significant contributions to the country.

Wright leads a multi-disciplinary team at NETL and manages multiple research projects with a total annual budget of 5 to 10 million dollars. She has dedicated her federal service to developing and deploying sensor technologies that could save billions of dollars lost during power outages and avert serious injuries from pipeline explosions and grid fires.

These technologies employ distributed optical fiber sensors that can cover long distances along infrastructure while taking measurements at many points close together, offering broader coverage and improved cost-effectiveness compared to existing point sensors. The sensors can provide early warnings to prevent failures in natural gas, hydrogen and carbon dioxide pipelines, carbon capture systems, hydrogen subsurface storage, oil and gas wells, the power grid and transformers.

Wright excels in advancing technologies toward industry adoption through collaborations such as cooperative research and development agreements with pipeline companies and a memorandum of understanding with the University of Pittsburgh. She also serves as an invited subject matter expert on sensors at international platforms and workshops.

Numerous organizations have recognized Wright for her expertise and leadership. This recognition has included two R&D 100 Awards.

In 2023, Wright’s team received R&D 100 Award for Transformer Watchman, an artificial intelligence-enhanced fiber optic sensor system designed to monitor and predict dangers in electrical transformers to prevent outages and enhance grid security.

A year later, her team earned another R&D 100 Award for UltraSonic Photonics, a revolutionary technology developed in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh for monitoring pipelines, bridges and other crucial infrastructure. She also holds 11 pending and awarded U.S. patents.

After joining NETL in 2016 as a postdoctoral researcher, Wright has been working at the frontline to develop novel sensor technologies for energy infrastructure. She quickly emerged as a leader in critical energy infrastructure monitoring research and development and joined the federal workforce in 2021. Her selection as a Service to America Medals Emerging Leader honoree highlights her significant impact on public safety and national security through innovative sensor technologies and dedicated public service.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory dedicated to advancing the nation’s energy future by creating innovative solutions that strengthen the security, affordability and reliability of energy systems and natural resources. With laboratories in Albany, Oregon; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, NETL creates advanced energy technologies that support DOE’s mission while fostering collaborations that will lead to a resilient and abundant energy future for the nation.