Dr. Anthony P. Hamins

Dr. Anthony P. Hamins is the chief of and a supervisory mechanical engineer in the Fire Research Division (FRD) of the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Division develops, verifies, and utilizes measurements and models to quantify the behavior of fire and develop the means to reduce the impact of fire on people, property, and the environment.

Prior to joining NIST in 1989, Hamins was a Postdoctoral Research Engineer at the University of California at San Diego and a Research Scientist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He was a Project Leader in the Fire Research Division for nine years (1989 – 1997) and then served as Group Leader for nine years, most recently for the Fire Analysis and Prediction Group (2001-2007) and before that with the Fire Dynamics Group (1998-2000).

His research interests include measurement science applied to heat and mass transfer processes involving fires at multiple scales, fire investigation, the structure and extinction of non-premixed flames, micro-gravity combustion, the kinetics of flame inhibition, validation of fire models, and structural fire resistance. While at NIST, Hamins has led interdisciplinary research studies on advanced fire measurements and predictive methods, including large-scale fire experiments to provide data for validation of fire models. He has led fundamental and applied studies on fire suppression for a range of applications including automobiles, aircraft, space platforms, and structures. He is currently the Leader of BFRL's Goal on Measurement Science for Innovative Fire Protection.

Hamins is currently serving as Vice-Chairman of the International Association of Fire Safety Science (IAFSS). In 2008, he served as the Technical Program Chair of the 9th Meeting of the IAFSS. In 2005, he received the Department of Commerce Gold Medal for contributions to NIST's World Trade Center investigation. He has served as a Research Advisor for NIST Post-Doctoral Research Associates, for visiting scientists at NIST, and for students conducting their thesis and dissertation research. He has published over one-hundred journal articles and reports and is a member of the Combustion Institute.