2016 Bronze Medal Award

Ms. Outcalt is recognized for her superb leadership in the advancement of instrumentation and the development of a standard practice for vibrating tube densimetry (VTD).  Density is a critically important fundamental fluid property which affects all facets of commerce: fuels, lubricants, polymers, refrigerants, pharmaceuticals, and foods. Measurement by VTD is ubiquitous, but universally misused due to its apparent (and deceptive) simplicity.  Ms. Outcalt’s pioneering research allowed her to apply advanced VTD measurements correctly to the problems in industry.  She proposed that procedures, calibrations and uncertainty determination from her own research be adopted into an ASTM standard practice in order to improve industrial practices, and she led the subsequent adoption of that standard practice.