National Institute of Standards and Technology Presents 2014 Awards to Outstanding Employees

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—Today, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recognized current and former employees for their efforts to push the frontiers of science and measurement, as well as the administrative and other support that makes the work possible. Through research and collaborations, NIST employees have led advances in areas ranging from energy efficiency and timekeeping to biometrics and cybersecurity.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker joined Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Willie May and other officials to present the NIST awards in a ceremony at NIST's Gaithersburg campus. They also recognized recipients of the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold and Silver medals, who will receive their awards in a separate ceremony in Jan. 2015.

"I want to congratulate and thank NIST's 2014 award winners, whose work shapes the next generation of technology and scientific research. Everyone benefits from these employees' contributions to our economy, our security and our competitive edge," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker at the awards ceremony. "The extraordinary people we honor with the NIST award this year come to work ready to devote their talent, their skills, their time and their energy to writing the next great chapter in America's scientific, technological and industrial history."

Bronze Medal Award for Superior Federal Service
Fifty-seven individuals and one group received the Bronze Medal Award for Superior Federal Service—the highest honor presented by NIST. Since 1966, the award has been given for significant performance characterized by outstanding or significant contributions that have increased the efficiency and effectiveness of NIST.

Joshua Bienfang – "For developing single photon detectors in the commercially relevant infrared spectrum near the fundamental limits for quantum communication."

Michael Gooden – "For exemplary customer service and technical proficiency in scientific acquisitions that has significantly improved the organizational health of NIST."

Thomas Grove – "For establishing and ensuring the effective implementation of an exemplary radiation safety program at NIST Boulder."

Kathryn Krycka – "For profound advancements to neutron spin polarization techniques and their subsequent application to the characterization of magnetic nanostructures."

Thomas C. Larason – "For developing the metrology to establish ultraviolet light as a safe and effective treatment for the sterilization of drinking and waste water."

June Lau – "For innovative, cutting-edge analysis of magnetic nanostructures, which enabled significant advancements in next-generation electronic devices."

Henri Lezec – "For the realization of flat lensing at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths."

John Lowe – "For partnering with industry to develop technology that has dramatically improved commercial devices using precision timing broadcasts from NIST radio station WWVB."

Alexander Maranghides – "For development and implementation of a science-based post-fire data collection methodology to improve community fire resilience."

Joshua Martin – "For development of Seebeck coefficient metrologies and standards that advance the commercialization of thermoelectric energy conversion materials."

Amy Phelps – "For demonstrating leadership, vision and expertise in implementing robust and rigorous conformity assessment programs that meet federal agency needs."

Renu Sharma – "For the development of in situ Raman spectroscopy within the environmental transmission electron microscope."

Kartik Srinivasan – "For the development of single-photon up-conversion methods for efficient quantum communication."

Mary Willett – "For professional excellence in leveraging human capital information to enhance the delivery and evaluation of human resources services."

Bradford Wing – "For advancing forensic human identification through exceptional leadership in developing standard formats for interoperable biometric voice and dental data."

Wing Wong – "For professional excellence in advancing the safety culture of NIST by establishing and supporting the effective implementation of NIST's biosafety and blood-borne pathogens programs."

David Yashar – "For exemplary research resulting in significant and critically needed efficiency improvements for heat pumps and air conditioners."

Grounds Maintenance Crew (Gaithersburg Campus) – "For exceptional service and support to the NIST community in their performance of snow removal efforts contributing to a safer work environment."

Adam Creuziger and Thomas Gnaeupel-Herold – "For the development of new analysis techniques for error determinations of crystallographic phase fractions, textures, and intergranular stresses."

Alex Farrell and Mitchell Furst – "For providing state-of-the-art calibrations of space sensors critical for monitoring solar weather to protect our nation's vulnerable infrastructure."

Kendra Gilmore and Janet Hoffman – "For the successful design and implementation of a pilot program to provide clerical support on an as-needed basis to NIST clients."

Ulf Griesmann and Johannes A. Soons – "For innovations in ultra-precision spherical surface metrology, improving optics for applications ranging from nanoscale to hundreds of meters."

Martin Chiang, Nancy Lin and Sheng Lin-Gibson – "For development of a clinically relevant measurement and standardization program for critical evaluation of photo-polymerized dental restoratives."

Robert Amaro, James Fekete, Chris McCowan and Jeffrey Sowards – "For conducting critical material failure analyses with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, resolving the root cause of a 2009 safety incident."

Gerald Castellucci (retired), Thomas Lettieri, Jean-Louis Staudenmann, Lawrence Uhteg and Thomas Wiggins – "For successfully managing to completion the portfolio of projects funded by the Technology Innovation Program."

William Chambers, Olufisan Epebinu, Zhihua Scott Jiang, David Kao, Thomas Lacko, Remigius Onyshczak, Terry Sepehri, Mark Williams, Sandy Yu and Yali Zhang – "For development and implementation of an Identity and Access Management System (IDAM) for NIST."

Pamela Corey, Jennie Covahey (retired), Mark Esser, Susan Ford, Leon Gerskovic, Kelly Irvine, Keith Martin, Michael Newman, Laura Ost and Ellen Weiser – "For excellence in telling the story of NIST's 112-year history through exhibits with artifacts, displays and video in both Gaithersburg and Boulder."

Eugene Casson Crittenden Award
The Crittenden Award, established in 1967, recognizes superior achievement by permanent employees who perform supporting services that have a significant impact on technical programs beyond their own offices.

Eileen Conley – "For her active approach and tenacity in process improvement in all business activities that support the Information Technology Laboratory mission."

Christopher G. Hamilton – "For professional and tireless attention to serving the needs of the NIST Boulder campus."

Jeanne Kilpatrick – "For providing exemplary support to ensure the continual success of the SURF student onboarding process within the Material Measurement Laboratory."

Melvin R. McClelland – "For design, construction and continuous maintenance and upgrading of instrumentation critical to the mission of the Dosimetry Group for over 25 years."

Kimberly McDonough – "For providing outstanding contributions to the efficiency and effectiveness of the Human Resources Processing and Payroll Team."

Allen V. Astin Measurement Science Award
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.

Vladimir Orkin – "For providing evaluated data and measurements of rate constants, global warming and ozone depletion potentials to the climate change communities."

Edward Uhler Condon Award
The Condon Award recognizes distinguished achievements in written exposition in science and technology. The award was initiated in 1974.

Jon R. Pratt – "For his special feature elucidating mass dissemination from the macroscopic to the quantum world following the modernization of the metric system."

Judson C. French Award
The French award, first presented in 2000, 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.

Margaret C. Kline – "For resolving a critical measurement issue that threatened a NIST reference material used widely for forensics, and for its rapid re-certification."

Jodie Pope and John Wright – "For providing the hydrogen flow measurement and standards infrastructure to enable the broad commercialization of hydrogen-fueled vehicles."

Alec Belsky, Hong Fang, Angela Lee and Xin Zeng – "For creating the Calibration Support System for the NIST Calibration Services Program."

Jacob Rabinow Applied Research Award
The Rabinow Award, first presented in 1975, is granted for outstanding achievements in the practical application of the results of scientific engineering research.

Scott A. Diddams and Nathan R. Newbury – "For pioneering applications of frequency combs, including the world's best atomic clocks, new communications technologies and precision spectroscopy."

Edward Bennett Rosa Award
The Rosa Award, established in 1964, is granted for outstanding achievement in or contributions to the development of meaningful and significant engineering, scientific or documentary standards either within NIST or in cooperation with other government agencies or private groups.

Anthony J. Downs, Hui-Min Huang, Adam Jacoff, Elena Messina, Richard Norcross and Ann Virts – "For outstanding contributions to the development of ASTM International standard test methods and prototype tests to advance emergency response robots."

William P. Slichter Award
The Slichter Award, first presented in 1992, is granted for outstanding achievements by NIST staff in building or strengthening ties between NIST and industry.

Timothy Quinn – "For establishing a partnership between NIST, FDA and the global medical device industry to harmonize testing standards for cardiac assist devices."

Samuel Wesley Stratton Award
The Stratton Award, first presented in 1962, is granted for outstanding scientific or engineering achievements in support of NIST objectives.

Ian B. Spielman – "For transforming the field of quantum simulation by inventing ways to model 'designer' complex systems to solve problems at the frontiers of physics."

George A. Uriano Award
The Uriano Award, first presented in 1996, 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.

Zahraha Brunner and Mark Schmit – "For expanding the understanding of the importance of U.S. manufacturing, including the role the industry plays in innovation, job creation and economic prosperity by supporting Manufacturing Day."

NIST Colleagues' Choice Award
Established in 2006, the Colleagues' Choice Award is granted to nonsupervisory employees who are recognized and nominated by their colleagues for having made significant contributions that broadly advance the NIST mission and strategic goals or broadly contribute to the overall health and effectiveness of NIST.

Sandra W. Claggett – "For exemplary dedication and services to the staff and guest researchers of the Materials Science and Engineering Division."

Michael Gooden – "For extraordinary customer service and technical competence that has significantly improved the productivity and organizational health of NIST."

William Osborn – "For collegial service and outstanding technical collaborations to advance materials measurements."

Glen Saraduke – "For professional excellence, leadership and exceptional dedication to safe laboratory operations across the NIST Boulder campus."

Director's Award for Excellence in Administration
The Director's Award was first presented in 2008 and is granted to recognize administrative professionals who have made significant contributions that broadly advance the NIST mission and strategic goals through excellence in administrative services and functions.

Mary Anne Dewese – "For sustained superior performance, leadership and quality in service, meeting the NIST and Radiation Physics Division customer-focused missions."

Equal Employment Opportunity/Diversity Award
The Equal Employment Opportunity/Diversity Award, first presented in 1977, is granted for exceptionally significant accomplishments and contributions to equal employment opportunity/diversity goals.

Frank Gayle – "For exemplary support of staff diversity at NIST and outreach to underrepresented minority educational institutions nationwide."

Safety Award
The NIST Safety Award, first established in 1979, is granted to recognize NIST employees and organizations for substantial contributions to improving safety at NIST.

David Hukill (deceased) – "For constant vigilance and pioneering safety improvements in the safety conduct of NIST Boulder EMSS contractor operations."

Richard Royer – "For exemplary efforts, success and outstanding occupational health and safety service to NIST and the Engineering, Maintenance and Support Services (EMSS) Division."

Elizabeth Mackey and Craig Vogel – "For development and deployment of a fully automated Hazard Review and Approval System for use within the MML Safety Program and across NIST."

Dean of Staff Award
The Dean of Staff award recognizes the NIST employee with the longest tenure with a plaque and copy of a carbon print photograph of pioneering British scientist Michael Faraday that hung in the office of the first three NIST directors.

Naomi Crockett - With 52 years of service.

U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service
First presented in 1949, the Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service is the highest honor conferred upon a Commerce Department employee by the agency. It is bestowed for "distinguished performance characterized by 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." Awards are given in the following categories: leadership, personal and professional excellence, scientific/engineering achievement, organizational development, customer service, administrative/technical support, and heroism.

Stephen Stein and Dmitrii Tchekhovskoi – "For developing InChI, an algorithm that turns 3-D chemical structures into a unique strings of characters, enabling chemical data search and exchange."

Andrew Ludlow, Christopher Oates and Jun Ye – "For exceptional scientific creativity and achievement in inventing and perfecting new types of atomic clocks with best-in-the-world performance."

John Kitching, Elizabeth Donley and Svenja Knappe – "For pioneering chip-scale atomic devices as a new paradigm for broad dissemination of precision NIST measurements through miniaturized standards."

Erica D. Kuligowski, Franklin T. Lombardo, Long T. Phan and David P. Jorgensen (NOAA) – "For conducting the federal investigation of the May 2011 Joplin Tornado that resulted in 16 recommendations to save lives and reduce losses."

George R. Clary Jr., Mark R. Miller, Craig T. Moore and David W. Nalborczyk – "For heroic efforts that resulted in the lifesaving rescue of an adult and dog trapped in an apartment fire."

Jon Boyens, Lisa Carnahan, Donna Dodson, Naomi Lefkovitz, Suzanne Lightman, Victoria Pillitteri, Matthew Scholl, Adam Sedgewick and Kevin Stine – "For leading the development of an innovative consensus framework to improve the cybersecurity of our nation's critical infrastructure."

U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award for Exceptional Service
The second highest honor awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Silver Medal Award is bestowed for "exceptional performance characterized by noteworthy or superlative contributions that have a direct and lasting impact within the Department." Awards are given in the following categories: leadership, personal and professional excellence, scientific/engineering achievement, organizational development, customer service, administrative/technical support and heroism. The award was initiated in 1949.

James P. Cline – "For establishing world-leading metrology in crystal structure enabling the development and reliable use of advanced materials by U.S. industry."

Jeremy C. Cook – "For the design of the neutron guide system and shielding crucial to the NCNR's Neutron Facility Expansion Project, greatly advancing NIST's measurement science mission."

Stephan Schlamminger – "For leading the NIST effort to redefine the SI unit of mass in terms of constants of nature rather than a physical artifact known to change with time."

Paul C. Brand and Anthony J. Norbedo – "For the design and implementation of an innovative upgrade that greatly extends the lifetime of the NIST Center for Neutron Research, a critical scientific user facility."

Erica L. Butts and Peter M. Vallone – "For the development of rapid forensic DNA typing techniques that enable state of the art human identity testing and DNA biometrics."

Raghu N. Kacker and D. Richard Kuhn – "For enabling unprecedented levels of software reliability through development of innovative software testing methodologies and tools."

Christopher McCowan, Raymond Santoyo, Jolene Splett and Chih-Ming "Jack" Wang – "For providing material quality standards to the global steel industry during a period of dramatic production growth, especially in emerging markets."

Su Lan Cheng (retired), Brian J. Cochran, Gregory P. Fiumara, Patricia A. Flanagan, Stanley A. Janet, Wayne J. Salamon and Craig I. Watson – "For creating an unprecedented biometric evaluation capability that accelerated forensic standards development and innovation in biometric technology."

As a non-regulatory agency of the Commerce Department, NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. To learn more about NIST, visit www.nist.gov.