Twenty-Two Local Residents Receive High Honors From Commerce Department

Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown today presented 22 local employees of the National Institute of Standards and Technology with Gold and Silver Medal Awards--the two highest honor awards presented by the department.

The Gold Medal, presented for "distinguished achievements of major significance to the department or the nation," was awarded to four local residents. Eighteen were honored with the Silver Medal, given for "meritorious contributions of exceptional value to the department."

The following were among the winners:

Gold Medalists

• James E. Hill, CLARKSBURG, Md., Chief, Building Environment Division, Building and Fire Research Laboratory: "For significant technical leadership in mechanical engineering research for building systems and guiding these technological advances into practice."
• Miles E. Smid, SILVER SPRING, Md., Manager, Security Technology Group, Computer Systems Laboratory: "For significant leadership and technical contributions to the administration's key escrowed encryption initiative."
• Jack Sugar, GARRETT PARK, Md., Physicist, Physics Laboratory: "For contributions to the generation, evaluation, and dissemination of basic atomic data of scientific and technological importance."
• Theodore D. Doiron, GAITHERSBURG, Md., Physicist, Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, received a group award along with four employees of the NIST Boulder Laboratories: "For enabling U.S. manufacturers at their request to produce optical fiber of accurately controlled dimensions and to gain advantage in world markets."

Silver Medal

• William J. Boettinger, MONROVIA, Md., Metallurgist, Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory: "For scientific leadership in the field of solidification of metals and its application to new high-performance alloys."
• B. Stephen Carpenter, GAITHERSBURG, Md., Director for International Relations, Office of the Director: "For the development of a program assisting Latin American countries to develop their metrology services in support of an open market economy."
• Charles W. Clark, WHEATON, Md., Chief, Electron and Optical Physics Division, Physics Laboratory: "For leadership in high-performance computing and contributions to the theory of high Tc superconductors, laser-atomic interactions, and surface dynamics."
• Richard G. Gann, GAITHERSBURG, Md., Chief, Fire Science Division, Building and Fire Research Laboratory: "For technical leadership in providing test methods for the ignition propensity of cigarettes."
• Carol A. Handwerker, GAITHERSBURG, Md., Metallurgist, Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory: "For providing new understanding of reactions and properties that control solderability and solder joint formation in microelectronic applications."
• David K. Kahaner, GAITHERSBURG, Md., Mathematician, Computing and Applied Mathematics Laboratory: "For demonstrating the value of using electronic media and the timeliness and technical quality of reports on technology developments in Japan."
• F. Lynn McNulty, McLEAN, Va., Associate Director for Computer Security, Computer Systems Laboratory: "For technical leadership relating to the national uses of cryptography to protect sensitive information."
• Pedatsur Neta, POTOMAC, Md., Leader, Experimental Chemical Kinetics Group, Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory: "For exceptional scientific leadership and internationally acclaimed research on the mechanisms of solar energy storage."
• David S. Simons, BETHESDA, Md., Physicist, Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory: "For exceptional leadership and innovative accomplishments in quantitative microbeam mass spectrometry."
• Lester A. Slaback, Jr., GAITHERSBURG, Md., Supervisory Health Physicist, Office of the Director of Administration: "For significant contributions to radiation safety and to the efficiency of operations and of research and development at the NIST Research Reactor."
• Gregory C. Tassey, GAITHERSBURG, Md., Senior Economist, Office of the Director: "For valuable performance in providing economic policy analysis on competitiveness and technology issues of national importance."
• Bruce R. Borchardt, WASHINGTON, D.C., Physicist, Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory and Steven D. Phillips, FREDERICK, Md., Physicist, Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory: "For development of an innovative standard for the efficient in-use testing of industrial coordinate measuring machines."
• John R. Copley, GAITHERSBURG, Md., Physicist, Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory and Dan A. Neumann, GAITHERSBURG, Md., Physicist, Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory: "For international leadership in critical neutron research to reveal key microscopic properties of revolutionary new fullerene-based materials."
• Mary J. Mitchell, VIENNA, Va., Supervisory Computer Systems Analyst, Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory; Kent A. Reed, GAITHERSBURG, Md., Leader, Computer Integrated Construction Group, Building and Fire Research Laboratory; and John R. Rumble, Jr., GAITHERSBURG, Md., Program Manager, Technology Services: "For significant contributions in the release of the Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP)."

As a non-regulatory agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, NIST promotes U.S. economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards.