Diane serves as a Physical Scientist with the NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM), Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML). Diane leads many activities and projects within NIST OWM to ensure uniformity in legal metrology both nationally and internationally. Her work includes developing NIST Handbooks, test procedures and technical articles on various legal metrology issues. She is the lead expert on national and international standards for grain moisture and protein measurement instruments and training in grain moisture meter laboratory and field testing. She has also provided training in other legal metrology device areas for State legal metrology laboratories, field inspectors and Industry. She worked with State legal metrology laboratories to ensure measurement traceability to the SI and was instrumental in developing a recognition (accreditation) program for State legal metrology laboratories. Diane also holds several leadership positions in various national and international standard development organizations (SDOs) in the development of standards for legal metrology devices.
Diane’s leadership has crossed all programs within the NIST OWM which are currently the Legal Metrology Devices Program, International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) Program, Laboratory Metrology Program, and Laws and Regulations Program to achieve NIST, OWM’s mission to establish uniformity, equity, and traceability in legal Metrology.
Diane’s leadership within the Legal Metrology Devices Program and International Organization of Legal Metrology led to the development of national and international field and laboratory test procedure for Grain Moisture Meters which are published in NIST HB 159 Examination of Grain Moisture Meters and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) R59 for Grain Moisture Meters and OIML R146 for protein measuring devices. She was influential in harmonizing the international standards (OIML R59 and OIML R146) with U.S. Standards to ensure uniformity in testing both nationally and internationally. Diane leads on several SDOs and workgroups to develop technically sound legal metrology requirements to include:
Diane’s leadership within the NIST OWM Laboratory Metrology Program led to the development of a recognition (accreditation)program for 50 State Metrology Laboratories to ensure traceability and quality assurance of measurements, the development of a Template Quality Manual that enabled State metrology laboratories to meet the requirements of then ISO Guide 25 which is now ISO 17025 requirements. Diane was certified as an ISO lead assessor and provided training on the ISO requirements for testing and calibration laboratories and developing measurement control charts. In 2008 Diane received the NIST Bronze award for her leadership in creating a comprehensive U.S. program for State Weights and Measures laboratories to ensure the validity of commercial transaction.
Diane’s leadership within the Laws and Regulations Program was through an intergovernmental program agreement with Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), Weights and Measures Division (WMD) where her study on foam allowance requirements resulted in revisions to NIST Handbooks.
Prior to her work with the NIST, OWM, Diane received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and worked as a Health Scientist. She initially started her career in legal metrology as an inspector with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), Weights and Measures Division (WMD). While with the MDA, WMD she worked as a field inspector testing various commercial weighing and measuring device and packaged goods. She then moved to the metrology laboratory where she calibrated mass, volume, and length standards and then managed the grain moisture laboratory.
Diane is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and participates in many activities of the Columbia, Maryland Alumnae Chapter. As previous Co-Chair to the Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy, She and her co-chair initiated and developed the first science fair for the Delta Academy participants. The Delta Academy participant’s projects ranged from the science of cooking and chemistry to DNA. The Delta Academy provides opportunities to enrich and enhance the education of young females ages 11-14 in areas that include self-esteem, math, science, and technology.