Skip to main content

Rene Padilla

Rene Padilla joins the NextGen program as a Cohort 4 fellow beginning in October 2026. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from UC Santa Cruz, where his research focused on advanced diamond-based particle detector instrumentation for next-generation X-ray free electron lasers. A UC Presidential Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings Fellow and his university’s 2025 Graduate Division Commencement Speaker, Rene brings an outstanding record of publications and a demonstrated commitment to community outreach.

Our Organization

The NextGen Nonproliferation Leadership Development Program is Funded by The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN-RD) as part of the Nonproliferation Stewardship Program (NSP).