PNNL

Max Martell is a systems engineer with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on the Indoor Environmental Quality Team 2, where he conducts research and engineering efforts in a variety of fields, including human factors, generative artificial intelligence, data science, occupational safety and health, advanced lighting and visual science, climate and geospatial modeling, indoor air quality and emissions, and residential building systems.

Previously, Martell worked as a lighting engineer in support of the Habitability and Human Factors Branch at NASA Johnson Space Center, where he performed research, analysis, evaluation, and testing on lighting systems for space vehicles and habitats, including the Artemis, Gateway, and Lunar Lander programs. He served as the lighting subject matter expert for the Human Landing System, and the lead lighting designer for the Habitation and Logistics Outpost.

While completing his master’s degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Martell worked on the Light & Health team of the Lighting Research Center, where he helped conduct research on the physiological impacts of light, including acute effects on alertness and other cognitive processes, and circadian rhythm effects on sleep architecture. Martell assisted in the development of programs for human subject testing, and in the data collection and statistical analysis of human performance tests and electroencephalogram recordings.

Martell conducted safety, health, and human factors research at Center for Disease Control and Prevention – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health involving illumination and visual interventions for improving situational awareness that includes work in developing LED technology to improve visual acuity and hazard detection, laser and fiber optic guidance systems for emergency operations, and lighting field measurement regulations. He has also lead research in using human-centric design for the mitigation of fatigue and circadian rhythm disruption in low-light environments. These projects seek to reduce injuries and fatalities by providing visual interventions and a better understanding of light to the challenges of safety and health.

His previous work with NASA also includes serving as an airworthiness engineering intern at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, where his experience was in the structural and aerospace design of aircraft components for the airborne scientific research missions of the P-3 Orion aircraft, and the project management of the Pioneer Unmanned Aerial System. He was also a research fellow for the NASA Alaska Space Grant, studying remote and automated drilling and sampling with applications to the subterranean exploration of extreme environments.

• Human Factors
• Lighting
• Circadian Rhythms
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Generative AI and Large Language Models

• Certificate in machine learning, Cornell University
• MS in lighting, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Graduate Certificate in human factors engineering and ergonomics, Penn State University
• BS in petroleum engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Coursera certificate in generative AI with large language models, 2023

• Member - Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)

• Federal Executive Boards Excellence in Government Award, Associated with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018
• Outstanding Performance Award, NIOSH, Associated with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018

• Fuentes T.L., K.H. McCord, M.J. Martell, and C.A. Antonopoulos. 2025. "A dataset for understanding self-reported patterns influencing residential energy decisions." Scientific Data 12:1273. PNNL-SA-206577. doi:10.1038/s41597-025-05335-8
• Martell M.J., J.A. Baweja, and B.D. Dreslin. 2025. "Mitigative Strategies for Recovering from Large Language Model Trust Violations." Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making 19, no. 1:76 - 95. PNNL-SA-193711. doi:10.1177/15553434241303577
• M. J. Martell, J.A. Baweja, and B.D. Dreslin. 2024. “Mitigative Strategies for Recovering from Large Language Model Trust Violations.” Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making.
• J. J. Sammarco, B. Demich, and M. J. Martell. 2020. “Recognition of illuminated coloured markers that designate primary and secondary mine escapeways.” Lighting Research & Technology, vol. 52.
• M. J. Martell, J. J. Sammarco, and E. Rubinstein. 2020. “Detectability of a self-illuminating lifeline for self-escape in smoke conditions of an underground mine.” Lighting Research & Technology.
• M. J. Martell, J. J. Sammarco, and B. D. Macdonald. 2019. “Effects of Light Spectrum on Luminance Measurements in Underground Coal Mines.” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.
• M. J. Martell and J. J. Sammarco. 2018. “Light source spectral power effect on luminance measurements in underground coal mines.” IEEE Industrial Applications Society Mining Industry Committee.
• M. J. Martell and J. J. Sammarco. 2017. “Luminance Measurement for Underground Mine Lighting.” IEEE Industrial Applications Society Mining Industry Committee Conference Proceedings.