2019 William A. Wildhack Award - Georgia Harris

NCSLI will best remember Georgia Harris for her outstanding sustained support for “Education” and has brought a new focus to this much needed area. Georgia has over 30 years of work in the U.S. Weights and Measures. Five with the State of Minnesota and 27 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Georgia is responsible for the evaluation and recognition of the State weights and measures laboratories and the ongoing training and proficiency testing of State weights and measures metrologists. Her work effectively ensures quality measurement results for over 350,000 calibrations annually, half of which form the foundation for the U.S. legal metrology system. Georgia oversees and provides metrology training at NIST and regional training events, ongoing training support and evaluation of measurement proficiency results for over 150 State and industry metrologists, through regional measurement assurance programs.

Georgia ensures the research, development, and publication of numerous documentary standards required for effective Weights and Measures field enforcement and laboratory activities. Ms. Harris has published and presented papers and conducted metrology and adult education training throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South Africa, and Colombia. Georgia was a member of the NCSL International Board of Directors for 20 years, including the position of President. She chaired the NCSL International Education Liaison and Outreach Committee for many years and won best paper awards from, NCSL International, MSC and the American Society for Engineering Education. She was a NIST liaison to the Measurement Science Conference for NIST Seminars for 12 years and is a past Secretary of the ASQ Measurement Quality Division and she continues to be active in adult education and metrology education outreach.