Los Alamos philanthropist Willard Wadt honored for decades of education giving

A Los Alamos scientist whose push helped build a scholarship pipeline that has sent nearly $15 million to students across northern New Mexico has been named the Thornburg Foundation’s 2026 Philanthropist of the Year.

The honor was presented April 16 at the Albuquerque Business First 2026 Corporate Philanthropy Summit and Awards at Sandia Resort in Albuquerque, but the local significance reaches far beyond one ceremony. Dr. Willard “Bill” Wadt helped create the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation in 1997 with a vision of education equity for children, students and families in the communities surrounding Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The LANL Foundation says it was founded in 1997 as a nonprofit learning organization meant to supplement the educational programs of school districts in counties near the lab. The organization says it has been investing in education, learning and human potential in Northern New Mexico ever since. In 2026, the foundation awarded 163 scholarships totaling nearly $1.2 million. Since 1999, it says it has awarded nearly 2,900 scholarships totaling almost $15 million.

Wadt’s own path to that work began long before the award. He joined Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1976 and retired after 34 years. He earned an AB in chemistry and mathematics from Williams College and later completed a PhD in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. Those credentials helped establish his reputation in Los Alamos, but his civic footprint has rested on something broader: using that expertise and standing to build institutions that still matter to local families and students.

At the ceremony, Wadt said he was greatly honored and proud of the work of the LANL Foundation on behalf of children, students, families and educators, and said the effort had been fun for 30 years. Thornburg Foundation president Allan Oliver praised him for personal generosity, sustained service and thoughtful leadership, pointing to the long-term effect of the work.

That effect is visible in the scale of the organization Wadt helped launch. The LANL Foundation has become a major regional institution, supporting scholarships, educator programs and nonprofit partnerships across Northern New Mexico. Thornburg says its Community Funding program has made more than $42 million in grants across New Mexico over the last 10 years, placing Wadt’s recognition within a larger philanthropic landscape, but in Los Alamos the story remains specific and practical. His honor spotlights the people and institutions that turned one local idea into lasting educational opportunity.