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2023 - Arthur S. Flemming Award---Edwin P. Chan
Thirteen public servants from a number of federal agencies will be honored at the 74th annual Arthur S. Flemming Awards on November 1, 2023. The winners are recognized for performing outstanding service in the fields of applied science and engineering, basic science, leadership and management, legal achievement, and social science. Exceptional employees with three to 15 years of federal service are nominated by their agencies and selected through a competitive judging process.
Established in 1948, the award is named after Arthur Sherwood Flemming, a distinguished government official who served seven presidential administrations of both parties, most notably as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Dwight Eisenhower. He was a two-time recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, first from President Eisenhower in 1957 and then from President Bill Clinton in 1994, two years before his death.
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Dr. Edwin Chan is recognized for his outstanding contributions to NIST and the federal government. He developed innovative measurement methods that advance our scientific understanding of polymer thin films and interfaces and deployed these methods to advance technologies with incredible societal importance. These successes stem from Dr. Chan’s unique vision to identify the fundamental concepts of polymer chemistry and physics that underpin the continuum equations that describe the mechanical properties of polymers.
His accomplishments have focused on two key areas of broad social importance: (a) water filtration membranes for desalination and clean drinking water and (b) impact-mitigating materials for protective equipment used by athletes, first responders, and soldiers. Dr. Chan has emerged as a leader in the field of polymer mechanics and is a critical interface between the academic research community and NIST stakeholders in industry and other government agencies.