Ruishu Wright, an NETL researcher who has demonstrated technical leadership and made exceptional contributions in the development of novel sensor technologies to protect the nation’s critical energy infrastructure, has been named a recipient of an Arthur S. Flemming Award. The awards are presented annually to honor outstanding federal employees who go above and beyond to make a difference in society.

Wright was named a winner in the Applied Science and Engineering award category. She will be recognized at a ceremony to be held Sunday, Nov. 8, at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, D.C.

Since joining NETL in 2016, Wright has established herself as an international leader in the use of fiber-optic sensors, wireless sensors, quantum sensors, functional sensing materials, and sensor data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor oil and gas pipelines, subsurface wellbores, electrical grids, and other critical infrastructure to provide early warnings to prevent failures.

Wright’s work has been instrumental in developing novel distributed optical-fiber sensors that can extend more than 100 kilometers along natural gas pipelines and collect an array of sensing data every 1 to 5 meters. This capability means that a single optical fiber can detect and locate potential leaks, ruptures, and corrosion and alert pipeline operators to make repairs and prevent a significant failure from occurring.

Through the development of multiple U.S. patents, Wright and her colleagues have also provided technologies to “hear” the state of health of energy systems and warn operators of impending problems.

One of these technologies, UltraSonic Photonics, which received an R&D 100 Award in 2024, has been advanced as a groundbreaking development of ultra-sensitive optical-fiber acoustic sensors and makes extensive use of AI and machine learning to reveal the characteristics of different forms of degradation in critical infrastructure such as pipelines and nuclear spent fuel storage canisters.

Wright also served in a leadership role to advance Transformer Watchman (R&D 100 Award recipient in 2023). The technology is an integrated, AI-enhanced fiber-optic sensor system for electrical transformers that can monitor and predict dangers in the power grid. It protects critical yet vulnerable power transformers to prevent outages and defend against physical threats while safeguarding continuous power operations for hospitals, traffic signals, communications, and other essential services.

Effective monitoring technologies enhance the resilience and efficiency of hydrocarbon infrastructure and reduce the potential for explosions, power outages, and fires that can pose significant risks to public safety and result in costly damages and lost productivity. As a dedicated researcher and proven leader, Wright is delivering solutions to address these issues and ensure the delivery of affordable, reliable, and secure energy to the American people.

The Arthur S. Flemming Awards were established in 1948 and named after Arthur Sherwood Flemming, a distinguished public servant who served in senior roles across seven presidential administrations. The George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration coordinates the awards.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory dedicated to innovating and accelerating the nation’s energy solutions in hydrocarbons, geothermal energy, and critical minerals production. The Lab further strengthens its impact by engaging with industry, academia, and other stakeholders through four strategically located Centers of Excellence: Coal, Critical Minerals and Advanced Alloys, Oil & Gas, and Geothermal. With research sites in Albany, Oregon; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, NETL operates as one laboratory to create advanced energy technologies that support DOE’s mission and enable affordable, reliable, and secure energy to fuel human prosperity.