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2023 NIST Awards Ceremony
Gold Medal Award
The Gold Medal Award is the highest award given by the Department of Commerce for extraordinary, notable or prestigious contributions that impact the mission of the Department of Commerce and/or one operating unit, and which reflect favorably on the Department.
Group Award
For the successful redevelopment of the inter-agency Edison system, creating iEdison, a modernized system for the tracking of taxpayer-funded inventions.
- Aiping Zhang
- Joe (Sugen) Kau
- Hicham Laoudi
- Bethany Loftin
- Lei Tong
- Jason Poffenberger
- Yujin Wang
- James D. Wilson
- Helen Nelson
- James Simmons
Group Award
For groundbreaking investigations, experiments, and analysis of WUI fire data that resulted in innovative tools to protect communities from wildfires.
- Alexander Maranghides
- Eric Link
- Shonali Nazare
- Kathryn Butler
- Erik Johnsson
- Marco Fernandez
Individual Award
For improving law enforcement, DHS, and U.S. Border Patrol operations by identifying over 1,000 errors in biometric data exchange standards.
- Dylan Yaga
Group Award
For the invention of serial cytometry, a revolutionary technology for cancer diagnostics and therapeutic evaluation.
- Greg Cooksey
- Paul Patrone
- Anthony Kearsley
- Matthew DiSalvo
Individual Award
For development of the NIST Urban Testbeds Program to determine the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change and to mitigate their impact.
- James Whetstone
Group Award
For ultra-rapid development of mpox virus assay control materials to ensure accuracy of diagnostic testing in support of global outbreak response.
- Jennifer Dootz
- Monique Hunter
- Scott Jackson
- Ishi Keenum
- Jason Kralj
- Stephanie Servetas
Group Award
For extraordinary national leadership in improving the scientific quality of forensic science practices through standards development.
- John Jones II
- Karen Reczek
- Allison Getz
- Donna Sirk
- Barbara Guttman
- Marcela Najarro
- Alan Zheng
- Will Guthrie
- John Butler
Group Award
For the invention of compact, durable, and inexpensive sensors that are providing highly accurate space-based measurements of the Sun's radiation.
- John Lehman
- Michelle Stephens
- Nathan Tomlin
- Christopher Yung
Organizational Award
For developing and executing a $300 million R&D program to enable the advancement of public safety communications technology.
- Organizational Representative: Dereck Orr
Group Award
For developing a suite of tools used to characterize a first-of-its kind tissue-engineered product for treatment of macular degeneration.
- Peter Bajcsy
- Carl Simon, Jr.
Group Award
For development and delivery of an AI-enhanced materials analysis system that enables unique U.S. capabilities in support of nuclear non-proliferation.
- Timothy Blattner
- Derek Juba
- Damian Lauria
- Benjamin Long
- Michael Majurski
- Diana Ortiz-Montalvo
- Adele Peskin
- John Henry Scott
- Keana C. K. Scott
- Stephan Stranick
Silver Medal Award
The Silver Medal Award is the second highest honor conferred by the Department of Commerce. It recognizes exceptional performance characterized by noteworthy or superlative contributions that have a direct and lasting impact within the Department.
Group Award
The group is being recognized for developing and deploying an automated workflow system to streamline and improve oversight of DOC's Federal Acquisition Certification Process.
- Catherine VanCise
- Marcelle Loveday
- Michael Scott
- Crystal Dabney
- Jennifer Falvey
- Kimberly Haag
- Lauren Gueye
- Roderick Williams
- Stacy Duncan
Group Award
For outstanding leadership in ensuring NIST's programmatic and legislative priorities were included in the final CHIPS + Science Act.
- James Schufreider
- Kari Reidy
- Kandy Hauk
Group Award
For the development of highly accurate and sensitive chip-scale optomechanical accelerometers for applications in transportation and defense.
- Jason Gorman
- Thomas LeBrun
- David Long
- Benjamin Reschovsky
Group Award
For giving a vital voice to U.S. first responders' communication technology needs in law enforcement, firefighting, and emergency services.
- Kristen Greene
- Shanée Dawkins
- Yee-Yin Choong
- Mary Theofanos
- Scott Ledgerwood
- Kerrianne Buchanan
- Susanne Furman
- Kevin Mangold
- Adam Pintar
Group Award
For the development of a first-of-its-kind biologically stable water quality standard that modernizes recreational water surveillance.
- Monique Hunter
- Scott Jackson
- Jason Kralj
- Stephanie Servetas
- Blaza Toman
Bronze Medal Award
The Bronze Medal Award is the highest recognition awarded by NIST. The award, approved by the Director, recognizes work that has resulted in more effective and efficient management systems as well as the demonstration of unusual initiative or creative ability in the development and improvement of methods and procedures. It is also given for significant contributions affecting major programs, scientific accomplishments, and superior performance of assigned tasks for at least five consecutive years.
Group Award
For developing innovative metrics, test methods, artifacts, and datasets that measure the performance and safety of exoskeleton wearable robots.
- Ann Virts
- Ya-Shian Li-Baboud
- David Schmitt
Individual Award
For leading and developing the international standard ASTM E3353 on in-process monitoring to improve the accuracy of additive manufacturing systems.
- Brandon Lane
Group Award
For measuring seasonal variations of the radio wave attenuation characteristics of vegetation at 60.5 GHz for use in international standards.
- Chiehping Lai
- Nada Golmie
Group Award
For outstanding leadership in developing two science-based ASTM standard guidelines for community disaster resilience planning and economic benefits.
- Christopher Clavin
- Therese McAllister
- David Butry
- Jennifer Helgeson
- David Webb
Stephen Eckel, James Fedchak, Daniel Barker, Nikolai Klimov, Julia Scherschligt
Group Award
For demonstrating the portable Cold Atom Vacuum Standard (pCAVS), the world’s first deployable absolute sensor of ultra-high vacuum.
- Daniel Barker
- Stephen Eckel
- James Fedchak
- Nikolai Klimov
- Julia Scherschligt
- Eite Tiesinga
Individual Award
For development of the revised IEEE/ANSI C63.27 standard that modernizes wireless-coexistence evaluations for new technologies and applications.
- Jason Coder
Group Award
For the monolithic integration of superconducting single-photon detectors with Josephson junctions for advanced computing and single-photon metrology.
- Jeffrey Shainline
- Jeffrey Chiles
- Adam McCaughan
- Sonia Buckley
- Adriana Lita
- Anna Fox
- John Biesecker
- Manuel Castellanos-Beltran
- Richard Mirin
- Sae Woo Nam
Group Award
For developing widely adopted assembly task boards and innovative robotic competitions to advance automation solutions for U.S. manufacturers.
- Joe Falco
- Kenneth Kimble
- Megan Zimmerman
- Justin Albrecht
Group Award
For the successful advancement of mobile fingerprint capture technology in support of law enforcement field requirements.
- John Beltz
- Gary Howarth
- John Libert
- Kenneth Ko
- Bruce Bandini
Individual Award
For leading and developing NIST's Usable Cybersecurity Program, transforming how government agencies view the human element in cybersecurity.
- Julie Haney
Individual Award
For successfully leading two industry-focused initiatives for the Office of the Secretary of Commerce, advancing the administration's workforce policy objectives.
- Kelly Welsh
Individual Award
For developing novel hydrogen-exchange mass-spectrometry methods that improve understanding of the structure and activity of protein-based drugs.
- Kyle Anderson
Group Award
For refuting published claims about quantum-enhanced microscopy by careful measurements of molecular absorption of photon pairs.
- Martin Stevens
- Ralph Jimenez
- Charles H. Camp Jr.
- Thomas Gerrits
Individual Award
For developing and applying a novel neutron interferometry method that revolutionizes knowledge of three important fundamental physical quantities.
- Michael Huber
Group Award
For the creation of innovative software to help fight communicable diseases by ensuring that clinicians have accurate vaccine recommendations.
- Michael Indovina
- Robert Snelick
- John Garguilo
- Andrew McCaffrey
- Sheryl Taylor
Group Award
For development and deployment of a statistical tool for experiment design and rigorous assessment of measurement uncertainty for chemical analysis.
- Michael Nelson
- Blaza Toman
- David Newton
- Johanna Camara
- Lane Sander
- Amanda Koepke
- Katrice Lippa
Individual Award
For collecting a set of BLE RSSI data and evaluating the performance of various proximity detection methods to blunt the spread of infectious diseases.
- Nader Moayeri
Group Award
For development of a method to control and enhance performance of 3D-printed titanium, leading to first-time industry use in critical applications.
- Nicholas Derimow
- Jake Benzing
- Newell Moser
- Orion L. Kafka
- Nik Hrabe
Group Award
For excellence in organizational development accomplished via the creation of an OFRM and OISM Robotic Process Automation (RPA or Bot) capability.
- Organizational Representative: George Jenkins
- Organizational Representative: Chandan Sastry
Group Award
For successfully leading the development and launch of the CHIPS Incentives application portal and customer relationship management solution.
- Sapna Mehta
- Sangeeta Chakravartti
- Brian Copello
- Brian Berry
- Torey Liepa
- Swati Bhargava Goel
- Nicole Gingrich
- Sudip Sarbajna
- Indira Kalvakolanu
- Liz Reinhart
Group Award
For successful migration of on-premise user data storage to the cloud, thus reducing costs and providing better security and improved collaboration.
- Selim Lange
- Kyle Sullivan
- Justin Senseney
- Ingrid Santiago Maldonado
- James Simmons
- Jennifer Liu
- Marvin "Stacey" Windsor
Group Award
For advancing the accurate space-based measurement of the moon's optical radiation for use in the on-orbit calibration of Earth-sensing satellites.
- Steven Brown
- John Woodward
- Steven Grantham
- Thomas C. Larason
- Stephen Maxwell
- Clarence Zarobila
Group Award
For developing nanophotonic atomic force microscope transducers that provide high bandwidth and sensitivity needed for nanostructure metrology.
- Vladimir Aksyuk
- Andrea Centrone
Group Award
For the development of a cryogenic camera based on superconducting sensors and for its first use in space to obtain X-ray images of a supernova remnant.
- W. Bertrand (Randy) Doriese
- Carl Reintsema
Allen V. Astin Measurement Science Award
Allen Astin came to NIST in 1925 and went on to do important work in electronics and in military research, including developing proximity fuses for bombs in support of the nation’s war effort during World War II. He became the fifth NIST director in 1952. The Astin Award, first presented in 1984, is granted for outstanding achievement in the advancement of measurement science or in the delivery of measurement services.
Group Award
For exceptional performance and dedication in the realization and dissemination of the national standard of frequency, time, and time interval.
- Jeff Sherman
- Ladan Arissian
- Roger Brown
- Bijunath Patla
Arthur S. Flemming Award
The Arthur S. Flemming Award was established in 1948 by the Downtown Jaycees of Washington, D.C., to honor outstanding federal employees for unusually meritorious work. The award is supported by the Office of Personnel Management and is sponsored by the George Washington University and Government Executive magazine in conjunction with the Arthur S. Flemming Awards Commission.
Individual Award
For his outstanding contributions to NIST and the federal government. He developed innovative measurement methods that advance our scientific understanding of polymer thin films and interfaces and deployed these methods to advance technologies with incredible societal importance.
- Edwin P. Chan
B. Stephen Carpenter Award
The B. Stephen Carpenter award, established in 2017, is granted for outstanding achievements or contributions in building ties between NIST and the international measurement community, including other national metrology institutes and international organizations who play a role in the global measurement system.
Individual Award
For leadership in international legal metrology standards to ensure a fair and equitable marketplace for global industrial commodities.
- Ralph Richter
Colleagues' Choice Award
First established in 2006, the Colleague’s Choice Award is granted to non-supervisory employees at NIST who, in the eyes of their colleagues, have made significant contributions that broadly advance the NIST mission and strategic goals or broadly contribute to the overall health and effectiveness of NIST.
Individual Award
For exceptional IT expertise, adaptability, commitment and care, greatly impacting NIST Surface & Microanalysis Science programs for over 50 years.
- Barbara Thorne
Individual Award
For extraordinary IT service and innovative approaches that broadly advance NIST mission needs.
- Don Lopez
Individual Award
For tireless dedication to NIST's mission, extraordinary customer service, and delivering effective advanced manufacturing programs and outreach.
- Lisa Fronczek
Individual Award
For exemplary service, dedication, and commitment in supporting and improving the administrative and scientific NIST communities.
- Sharon Rinehart
Director's Award for Excellence in Administration
The NIST Director’s Award for Excellence in Administration was first established in 2007. This award is granted to employees engaged in providing administrative service or carrying out administrative functions, who have made significant contributions that broadly advance the NIST mission and strategic goals through excellence in administrative services and functions.
Group Award
For their selfless vision and leadership to safely re-open, expand access to, and improve the Gaithersburg fitness center on behalf of the NIST community.
- Jeffrey McIntyre
- Patrick Staines
- Alex Garvin
- James "Alan" Crabill
Group Award
For development of the Administrative Management Portal to centralize precise training and resources for the NIST administrative management community.
- Mildred Glick
- Terry Sorcek
- Lucy Tedesco
- Misty Roosa
- Melissa Banner
- Kim Stavish
- Brian Copello
- Dawn Hurley
- Veronica Kinard
- Kimberly Goode
Group Award
For developing and implementing a Performance Management tool that provides transparency and a streamlined performance management process to NIST staff and leadership.
- Sherwin McAdam
- Kellie Beall
- Kristen Gilbert
- Amy Cubert
- Terry Sorcek
- Jasmine Ventura
- David Bradford
- Michaela Bratten
- William Turner
- Jason Ulanow
Dr. Willie E. May Award for Distinguished Career at NIST
The Distinguished Career Award, established in 2017, is granted to employees who have made lasting, long-term contributions to NIST's mission and strategic goals throughout their career.
Frank Gayle
Individual Award
For sustained leadership of programs and people at NIST and beyond, enhancing the institution's impact on the nation and the world.
- Frank W. Gayle
John Bollinger
Individual Award
For a career of research in trapped-ion metrology applied to atomic clocks and quantum manipulation, computation, and simulation.
- John Bollinger
Distinguished Mentoring Award
Established in 2018, the Distinguished Mentoring Award recognizes the value of mentoring and the positive impact it has on the mission of NIST. The winners of the award have fostered excellence in others, through either a formal or informal mentoring relationship.
Paul Butler
Individual Award
For extraordinary contributions to mentoring students, staff and NCNR users that have expanded the small-angle neutron-scattering research community.
- Paul Butler
Tracy Schock
Individual Award
For dedicated mentorship in metabolomics to produce the next generation of scientists imbued with NIST-level knowledge and commitment to quality.
- Tracey Schock
Diversity, Inclusivity and Equal Employment Opportunity Award
The Diversity, Inclusivity and Equal Employment Opportunity Award was first presented in 1977. Previously called the Equal Employment Opportunity/Diversity Award, the award recognizes exemplary contributions or leadership that ensure a more diverse and inclusive work environment for everyone at NIST.
Individual Award
For exemplary service as a role model, mentor, and strong, effective advocate and leader for the advancement of participation and fairness at NIST.
- Angela Hight Walker
Group Award
For grassroots efforts to create a more inclusive environment for working parents by establishing NIST-wide policies and spaces for lactating mothers.
- Susan Cantilli
- Kristen Gilbert
- Ashley Beasley Green
- Danni Leicht
- Abigail Lindstrom
- Diana Masselle
- Diana Ortiz-Montalvo
- Ileana Pazos
- Jessica Staymates
- Kelly Telu
Edward Bennett Rosa Award
Edward Rosa came to NIST in 1901 to start the new electricity research division. He eventually become the organization’s chief physicist and the right hand of NIST’s first director, Samuel Stratton. The Rosa Award, established in 1964, is granted for outstanding achievements or contributions in the development of meaningful and significant engineering, scientific, or documentary standards either within NIST or in cooperation with other government agencies or private groups.
Vladimir Khromchenko and Howard Yoon
Group Award
For the development of novel infrared radiometers and radiation thermometers to support critical calibration needs of the U.S. Air Force and Army.
- Howard Yoon
- Vladimir Khromchenko
Edward Uhler Condon Award
The Edward Uhler Condon Award is named after the fourth director of NIST. A theoretical physicist and a prolific writer, Edward Condon produced a steady stream of articles for Scientific American, Popular Mechanics and other periodicals. First presented in 1974, the Condon Award is granted for distinguished achievement in effective written exposition in science or technology. Including, but not limited to, the demonstration of substantial scientific, technical, or technological merit, unusually effective exposition through organization and clarity of style, broad treatment of a specific subject area, or appeal to readers with a wide range of scientific or technical interests.
Gary Zabow
Individual Award
For authorship of "Reflow Transfer for Conformal Three-Dimensional Microprinting," on a novel method to deposit microstructures on complex surfaces.
- Gary Zabow
Eugene Casson Crittenden Award
Eugene Crittenden joined NIST in 1904 where he worked for more than 50 years. Among other accomplishments, he helped establish international standards for photometry. The Crittenden Award gives recognition to the accomplishments of NIST technical and administrative support staff who provide services that have significant impact in support of the NIST mission.
Individual Award
For the highest degree of personal initiative, positive NIST-wide impact, and engendering of customer satisfaction.
- April Camenisch
Individual Award
For ensuring the successful administration of the entire NIST Quantum Measurement Division during and after the COVID-19 pandemic challenges
- Gail Griffin-Ferris
Luis Luyo, Michael Beacham, Tyler Gervasio, Glen Glaeser
Group Award
For designing and constructing new laboratory facilities that are critical to advancing NIST's efforts in premise plumbing research.
- Luis Luyo
- Glen Glaeser
- Tyler Gervasio
- Michael Beacham
Sadie Speight
Individual Award
For providing exemplary service and operational support to NIST-wide human resources programs.
- Sadie Speight
Individual Award
For outstanding work as an electrician and superior service to NIST customers in support of the NIST mission.
- Stepan Germanov
Excellence in Tech Transfer
Thomas Moffat and Daniel Josell
Group Award
For developing and transferring technologies needed by stakeholders to create microelectronic chips, quantum computers and new X-ray imaging methods.
- Thomas Moffat
- Daniel Josell
George A. Uriano Award
The George A. Uriano Award was first presented in 1996. George Uriano was the driving force behind NIST’s Advanced Technology Program of the 1990s and early 2000s. The Uriano Award is granted for outstanding achievements by NIST staff in building or strengthening NIST extramural programs, with emphasis on fostering U.S. competitiveness and business excellence.
Kevin Jurrens
Group Award
For positioning NIST and DOC to successfully implement core CHIPS for America Act programs to revitalize U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing.
- Anita Balachandra
- David Gundlach
- Paul Hale
- Kevin Jurrens
- R. Joseph Kline
- Timothy McBride
- Sanjay Rekhi
- David Seiler
- Sivaraj Shyam-Sunder
- Ndubuisi George Orji
Jacob Rabinow Applied Research Award
The Jacob Rabinow Applied Research Award is named after the legendary NIST inventor. Jacob Rabinow earned more than 200 U.S. patents for many different types of mechanical, optical, and electrical devices. First presented in 1975, the Rabinow Award is granted for outstanding achievements in the practical application of the results of scientific or engineering research.
Group Award
For identifying non-flammable, low-global-warming-potential alternatives to the widely used refrigerant HFC-134a for U.S. military applications.
- Mark McLinden
- Ian Bell
- Tara Fortin
- Marcia Huber
- Mark Kedzierski
- Gregory Linteris
- Stephanie Outcalt
- William Vance Payne II
- Aaron Rowane
- Harrison Skye
Judson C. French Award
Judson French was the director of the former NIST Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory, and he committed himself to the development and delivery of the very best products and services to the electronics and electrical industries. The French Award is granted for significant improvement in products delivered directly to industry, including new or improved NIST calibration services, Standard Reference Materials, and Standard Reference Databases.
Abneesh Srivastava and Joseph Hodges
Group Award
For development of a laser spectrometer primary-direct method for the determination of gaseous elemental mercury in the environment.
- Abneesh Srivastava
- Joseph Hodges
Group Award
For development of the first glycan Standard Reference Material for accurate quantification of N-linked glycans in monoclonal antibody therapeutics.
- Mark Lowenthal
- Brian Lang
- Blaza Toman
Ron Brown Excellence in Innovation Award
The Ron Brown Excellence in Innovation Award recognizes unusually significant accomplishments that resulted in the implementation of innovative and creative solutions to Commerce Department problems and challenges.
Group Award
For pioneering real-time, cell-by-cell analysis for early cancer diagnosis, the evaluation of novel therapeutics, and accurate clinical decisions
- Greg Cooksey
- Paul Patrone
- Anthony Kearsley
- Matthew DiSalvo
Safety Award
The NIST Safety Award was established in 1979 and recognizes NIST employees and organizations for substantial contributions to improving safety at NIST.
Individual Award
For identifying an unrecognized confined-space toxic-gas hazard and developing a thorough and efficient safety protocol for entering the space.
- Bradley Damazo
James Adams
Group Award
For eliminating an extreme risk to NIST's safety and institutional reputation by eradicating a dangerous legacy solution of plutonium.
- Larry Lucas
- Jerome La Rosa
- Manuel Mejias
- James Adams
Samuel Wesley Stratton Award
The Samuel Wesley Stratton Award was first presented in 1962. Samuel Stratton was the very first director of NIST, then known as the National Bureau of Standards. The Stratton Award recognizes an unusually significant research contribution to science or engineering that merits the acclaim of the scientific world and supports NIST’s mission objectives.
Alexey Gorschkov
Individual Award
For pioneering contributions to the understanding and control of large quantum systems, with applications in quantum computers, sensors, and networks.
- Alexey Gorshkov
William P. Slichter Award
The William P. Slichter Award was first presented in 1992. As a member of the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology in the late 1980s, William Slichter was a strong advocate for NIST’s role in supporting U.S. industry. The Slichter Award is granted for outstanding achievements by NIST staff in building or strengthening ties between NIST and industry.
Group Award
For partnering with industry to develop the rheo-Raman microscope and solve key issues with manufacturing of advanced polymers and other soft matter.
- Anthony Kotula
- Kalman Migler
- Angela Hight Walker