PNNL

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Women Chemists Committee has named Sarah Saslow as one of nine recipients of its 2026 Rising Star Award at the ACS Spring 2026 Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

This award honors mid-career women scientists for their significant contributions to chemistry. Saslow, a chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), was recognized for her leadership and research in linking foundational science with field-scale environmental cleanup.

Saslow says the recognition affirms that her work is making meaningful contributions. “Receiving this award was a surprise and an incredible honor,” she said. “Moreover, it is an acknowledgment that the work that our teams are doing here is indeed important.”

Understanding contaminant challenges

Saslow’s expertise is part of PNNL’s DOE Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) portfolio, which is focused on improving understanding of materials behavior to address legacy waste and subsurface cleanup challenges. 

Her research addresses one of the nation’s most persistent environmental challenges: the Hanford Site in Washington state. Originally a plutonium production facility for the Manhattan Project during World War II, it remained operational through the Cold War. Hanford still hosts more than 50 million gallons of legacy nuclear waste historically stored in 177 underground tanks.

Saslow and her research teams lead many PNNL projects focused on DOE-EM mission needs in soil and groundwater remediation, characterization, deactivation, and decommissioning. They use laboratory tests, spectroscopy, AI, analytical tools, and modeling to develop a science-based technical underpinning to DOE-EM mission challenges. This includes understanding how radionuclides and metal contaminants interact with natural and engineered materials and how these contaminants can be removed or contained by the materials they study. 

“From the local geology to the complexity of the actual waste, large-scale remediation requires big, coordinated teams of scientists and engineers across institutions,” she said, noting that her team’s work provides input data for predictive modeling efforts aimed at helping estimate how contaminants will behave far into the future. This information can help with cleanup strategies. 

At the molecular level, Saslow’s research uses advanced X-ray tools to analyze contaminant and material behavior at the atomic scale, allowing Saslow and her colleagues to identify the most effective methods for trapping or immobilizing pollutants. For example, by understanding the fundamental chemical processes that keep contaminants fixed, researchers can develop more effective waste forms, such as vitrified glass or engineered cementitious materials, that immobilize contaminants for thousands of years. 

Moving science forward

Saslow holds multiple leadership roles at PNNL, including serving as a task lead for the Deep Vadose Zone program, a DOE Hanford Field Office–funded initiative focused on cleaning up subsurface contamination at the Hanford Site. 

In the Deep Vadose Zone role, she leads laboratory research projects to better understand how groundwater remediation technologies, such as ion exchange resins that are similar in concept to household water filters, can be optimized for removing multiple contaminants from contaminated groundwater and how these treatment methods can be applied at the field scale. She also works closely with site contractors to ensure laboratory studies accurately reflect real-world operations to the best extent possible.  

Saslow also serves as a task lead for grout waste form research and is the project manager for evaluations of fixative coatings used in DOE deactivation and decommissioning efforts funded by the DOE-EM Technology Operations Office.

Additionally, she holds an advisory role with the Center for the Remediation of Complex Sites (RemPlex). This international network connects scientists and industry professionals to address complex environmental remediation challenges.

A mentor for women in science

Beyond her technical expertise and research leadership, the ACS award highlights Saslow’s commitment to the wider scientific community, especially in mentoring women and early-career researchers. 

“Studies have shown that women in science may face structural barriers, such as fewer resources or lab space, compared to their male counterparts,” Saslow said. “Awards like (the ACS Rising Star) can help provide greater visibility for the achievements of women scientists.”

Saslow’s nomination was initiated by Kelly Rue, PNNL postdoctoral research associate, and Carolyn Pearce, director of the Ion Dynamics in Radioactive Environments and Materials (IDREAM) Energy Frontier Research Center led by PNNL. In her nomination letter, Pearce commends Saslow’s “passion for community outreach and mentoring,” which aligns with the ACS award’s aim to improve women’s retention in science. 

“Sarah has demonstrated outstanding contributions to her fields of geochemistry and synchrotron science. Her team’s ability to scale laboratory findings into field-test platforms has already led to major strides in removing difficult contaminants from groundwater,” Pearce said. “Sarah’s recognition as an ACS Rising Star underscores not only the scientific rigor she brings to some of the nation’s most difficult cleanup challenges, but also her growing influence in shaping how science approaches complex subsurface contamination.”