Dr. Harold E. Marshall

Dr. Harold E. Marshall is a guest researcher in the Applied Economics Office of the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Dr. Marshall joined the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) as a research economist in the Technical Analysis Division in 1970. He became Chief of the Building Economics Section of the Center for Building Technology in 1973 and held that position until his retirement in April 2007.  His research specialty is developing standard economic methods and risk analysis techniques for evaluating investment projects.

Dr. Marshall has chaired since its inception in 1979 The Building Economics Subcommittee of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The subcommittee, which he continues to chair while a guest researcher at NIST, has produced 23 standard economic methods, guides, and software products used worldwide for evaluating investments in buildings and construction. Dr. Marshall has serves on the Editorial Advisory Committee of AACE International, the association for the advancement of cost engineering, to provide direction on the content of both Cost Engineering and AACE International Transactions.  He has also served as an editorial correspondent for Construction Management and Economics, the leading international journal on building economics.

Dr. Marshall's early career included teaching economics at The George Washington University and at George Mason University. He also taught economics for two years on World Campus Afloat's around-the-world shipboard college. Prior to coming to NBS he worked as an independent researcher in the Economics Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Dr. Marshall wrote and was featured as a subject matter expert in several technical videos in the Department of Energy's video series on life-cycle costing for energy conservation in buildings. He is co-author of a book on building economics, and has published over 50 articles, chapters in books, and technical papers. In recognition of his contributions in building economics, Dr. Marshall received in 1978 the Department of Commerce's Silver Medal Award, in 1986 the American Association of Cost Engineers' highest honor, the Award of Merit, and in 1988 the American Society for Testing and Materials' Award of Merit and accompanying honorary title of Fellow of the Society.