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SAA Awards

The SAA recognizes those who have made important contributions to the success of the organization (either members or non-members). The Awards Committee is responsible for identifying those deserving of recognition and preparing awards for presentation. The president appoints this committee, consisting of the current president, the past president and one or two additional members.

Current Award Categories

  1. Hans Oser Award for Distinguished Services. This is the highest award and is limited to one individual per year. It is given to a person who has contributed exemplary service over a long period.
  2. SAA Distinguished Service Award (long terms SAA contributions). There is no limit on the number of such awards per year, however, the number should be kept sufficiently small as to not dilute the honor. It goes to those having made significant contributions over a period of time.
  3. SAA Certificate of Appreciation (short term SAA contributions). In 2009 the SAA Certificate of Appreciation and SAA Special Achievement were merged into the SAA Certificate of Appreciation as they both address relatively short-term services. There is no limit to the number of such awards per year.
SAA Awards History
YearNameAwardCitation
2022Brian BelangerDistinguished ServiceFor service as SAA President.
2022Alicia ChambersCertificate of AppreciationFor her work to keep channels of communication open between SAA and NIST management.
2022John LoweCertificate of AppreciationFor his continuing efforts to more fully engage Boulder SAA members.
2022Janet MillerHans Oser AwardFor her exemplary service as SAA board secretary and corporate memory.
2022Al ParrDistinguished ServiceFor ten years of service on the SAA Newsletter editorial committee.
2022Dolores WallaceDistinguished ServiceFor fourteen years of service on the SAA Newsletter editorial committee.
2021Denease AndersonCertificate of AppreciationFor her continued support of the NIST Portrait Gallery through the pandemic by providing photographic services.
2021Vincent ChiriacoCertificate of AppreciationFor his continued support of the NIST Portrait Gallery through the pandemic by coordinating the printing of the Gallery brochure.
2021Tammy ClarkCertificate of AppreciationFor her continued support of the NIST Portrait Gallery through the pandemic by coordinating Gallery activities in the Director's Office.
2021Sarah HendersonCertificate of AppreciationFor continued outstanding oversight of the NIST SAA Portrait Gallery web pages, resulting in an up-to-date and high-quality web presence.
2021Bettijoyce LideDistinguished ServiceFor outstanding leadership of the Portrait Gallery Committee and manifold leadership contributions to the SAA overall.
2021Richard LindstromDistinguished ServiceFor years of dedicated service to the SAA as Vice President, IT Committee member, and Portrait Gallery ceremony contributor.
2021Paul MajewskiCertificate of AppreciationFor his contributions to SAA office administration.
2021Roger MartinHans Oser AwardFor outstanding service editing and publishing the SAA Newsletter.
2021Noël RaufasteDistinguished ServiceFor chairing the Nominating Committee and for major contributions to the Portrait Gallery Committee.
2020Regina AvilaCertificate of AppreciationFor outstanding leadership in the design and implementation of new digital collections of NBS-NIST Oral Histories and of the Portrait Gallery of
Distinguished Scientists, Engineers, and Administrators, making these publicly available on the NIST website highlights NIST-SAA collaboration
to document and preserve NBS-NIST history.
2020Margaret FreelandCertificate of AppreciationFor ongoing service to the SAA by facilitating the issuance to SAA members of NIST campus access badges including the Limited Access Pass (Yellow badge) and the Personal Identification Verification badge (Green badge).
2020Bob MartinCertificate of AppreciationFor two decades of outstanding performance and dedication as auditor for the Standards Alumni Association.
2020Jim SchooleySpec AwardSpecial plaque for his years of leadership of and contributions to the SAA.
2020Christopher WilliamsCertificate of AppreciationFor ongoing service to the SAA by facilitating the issuance to SAA members of NIST campus access badges including the Limited Access Pass (Yellow badge) and the Personal Identification Verification badge (Green badge).
2017Norman BeleckiSustained Superior ServiceFor his for his unselfish service to the Organization over an extended period in a variety of operations:  leading and overseeing all IT operations, advising on, and implementing new capabilities, designing and maintaining databases for membership, archives, etc.; being a lead contributor to the Education Committee.
2017Janet MillerSustained Superior ServiceFor her continued service to the SAA as Recording Secretary and an Office Manager over the past decade.  She continues to provide excellent minutes of each Board Meeting, keeps the SAA Calendar current, prepares the annual budget, and staffs the office as needed. In these functions, her performance is exemplary.
2017Jim SchooleyHans Oser AwardFor his extended and varied service to the SAA as a Board member and Officer, including several terms as President, as current Historian, as author of the last volume of the NIST history, and as a frequent contributor to the Newsletter.
2016Karma BealDistinguished ServiceFor her outstanding management of SAA Office Operations over the last four years. In this capacity she has assured smooth communication flow among SAA officials and has provided important support to the Membership Committee and other bodies. In addition, she has successfully taken on the duties of arranging SAA social events.
2016Norm BeleckiCertificate of AppreciationFor running the IT works.
2016Morgan FrycklundCertificate of AppreciationFor including SAA membership applications and benefits in the retirement packages given to those retiring from or leaving NIST employment.
2016Mickey HaynesDistinguished ServiceFor assuming direction of the Boulder Babble column in the SAA Newsletter from Bob Kamper. His work is easily the most commented-upon item in the newsletter. The Local News part of it has been unique and “delicious” over the years, and Mickey wrote it for his entire tenure. He did this while continuing a very active professional career.
2016Jeffery HorlickCertificate of AppreciationFor his tremendous amount of effort into SAA activities: acting as interface between the SAA and Kevin Kimball, taking care of all of the badge applications, interacting with the legal office, helping keep our relationships with the NIST IT people on an even keel, giving sage advice and good ideas to many, if not all, of the standing and ad hoc committees, acting as Schooley’s right-hand man, collecting archival information such as phone books, jumping in wherever there seems to be a gap of some sort, etc. Last year he received the Hans Oser Award. 
2016Roger MartinCertificate of AppreciationFor his continued and remarkable job with the newsletter. He has brought his own style and ideas to it, and it remains fresh because of that. He serves as managing editor, necrologist, and compositor/publisher—any one of these can, especially for a big issue, consume the entire six weeks before it goes to the print shop. The effort he puts into garnering information for the obituaries alone is staggering!
2016John TeskDistinguished ServiceFor his exceptional and dedicated decade-long service as Chair of the Membership Committee where he advanced SAA's membership recruiting process and organized and streamlined SAA's membership reporting system and for his conscientious record keeping and gentle follow-up to many late membership renewals.
2015Bill GadzukDistinguished ServiceFor his valuable contributions to the SAA while serving as Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors; for his leadership of the Program Committee; and for his very active service in arranging interviews for the Oral History Committee.
2015Jeffery HorlickHans Oser AwardFor exceptional leadership as president of the Standards Alumni Association, for which he strengthened programs and documentation of procedures and established effective working relations with NIST, and for continued personal volunteer activities such as renovation and maintenance of the traditional and digital portrait galleries, records of obituaries of NIST alumni and Jeffery Horlick staff, and NIST tours and exhibitions.
2015Bettijoyce LideDistinguished ServiceFor her leadership in creating and providing enthusiastic management of SAA’s Education Committee; for serving as an energetic Co-Chair of SAA’s Portrait Gallery Committee; and for her dedicated support to the SAA as a Director and formerly as NIST Liaison.
2014Norman BeleckiDistinguished ServiceFor his dedication in the computer operations of the organization, particularly, translating the old membership database on the NIST mainframe to a modern program on the SAA-owned computer.
2014Elaine Bunten-MinesCertificate of AppreciationFor her service as chair/co-chair of the Portrait Committee Subcommittee for Nominations and Elections.
2014Edger EtzCertificate of AppreciationFor filling the void created in SAA office operations due to the retirement of Hans Oser.
2014Richard LindstromCertificate of AppreciationFor active participation in updating of SAA databases.
2014Noël RaufasteDistinguished ServiceFor two years of service as President during a time of transition from the many years when operations relied almost entirely on Hans Oser, and for extraordinary involvement on the preparation of Bios for portrait Gallery Honorees.
2014Richard R. WrightHans Oser AwardFor his exceptional service to SAA including serving as SAA President and chairing the SAA Portrait Gallery for the past 10 years, where he advanced the quality of the selection process, improved the Committee’s organization, and streamlined the Committee’s operations.  
2013Jeffrey HorlickDistinguished ServiceFor leadership in support of numerous SAA activities, including implementation of the digital version of the Portrait Gallery of Distinguished Scientists, Engineers, and Administrators.
2013James A. HormuthDistinguished ServiceFor sustained excellence as SAA treasurer, including reestablishment of the SAA tax-exempt status and resolution of bank account issues.
2013Janet MillerDistinguished ServiceFor sustained excellence as SAA recording secretary and for facilitating contacts with the NIST Administration that led to the new CRADA between NIST and SAA.
2012Norman BeleckiHans Oser AwardFor his 10 years of service on behalf of the SAA Newsletter.
2012Pamela CoreyCertificate of AppreciationFor her assistance with our efforts to improve our publication methods.
2012Jennifer CovaheyCertificate of AppreciationFor her assistance with our efforts to improve our publication methods.
2012Hans OserHans Oser AwardFor providing 11 years of outstanding services as Chief Operating Officer of the Standards Alumni Associations (SAA), resulting in a high level of organizational operation and accomplishments. His work has been instrumental in maintaining the SAA’s day-to-day operations by providing database management support, responding to a wide variety of requests for information both internally and externally, and providing the logistics to conduct the mission of the SAA Board with its various committees serving the national membership of over 450 SAA members. Annually, Hans has performed this work by spending three days a week at NIST and considerable time working from home. Hans has been an inspiration to all in his dedication to the SAA.
2012John TeskDistinguished ServiceFor his diligent and productive work as Chair of the SAA Membership Committee.
2011Anne GoldbergCertificate of AppreciationFor leadership in modernizing SAA’s data base system that improved both data entry and retrieval and for creating a more efficient and attractive SAA Web Site that expanded SAA’s communications to its membership
2011 David LideDistinguished Service For seven years of service to the SAA as Chair of the Oral History Committee, which creates a substantial and permanent repository of NBS/NIST history; and as Chair of the Nominations Committee, which provides continuing leadership for the SAA. Along with NAE member Richard Wright, David also initiated a study on behalf of the NIST Director's office which improved and extended NIST's recognition of NBS/NIST members who have been elected to the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Engineering.
2011Rosemary MacDonaldDistinguished ServiceFor ten years of service to the SAA and to NIST in providing obituaries of deceased NBS/NIST employees that emphasize their contributions to the work of our agency.
2011 Sara TorrenceDistinguished ServiceFor long-term service in arranging SAA dinners, lunches, and other social events that constitute a major contribution to the cohesion of the Alumni Association.
2010Brian BelangerCertificate of AppreciationEffectively chaired the Standards Alumni Association (SAA) Program Committee for three years and consistently has drawn high quality guest speakers for SAA’s quarterly and annual meeting programs. Brian has worked creatively to ensure a wide range of technically interesting and timely presentations and in publicizing these events.
2010Jeffery HorlickCertificate of AppreciationDeveloped an index of the entire series of NBS Technical Bulletins that now serves as an important resource for retrieving historic NBS technical information.
2010Jim HormuthDistinguished ServiceFor ten years of continuous service to the Association as its Treasurer, and for his conscientious record keeping of the finances of the organization and completion of successful annual audits.
2010Reeves TilleySilver Jubilee AwardFor his profound dedication and commitment throughout the existence of the Standards Alumni Association (SAA) by volunteering three days each week in the operation of the SAA. Reeves is the longest serving SAA officer. He still is the principal research associate for the cooperative R&D agreement between SAA and NIST; he chaired the SAA Program Committee for more than a decade and served on nearly all SAA committees; his vast institutional memory provides the responses to a wide variety of requests for NBS/NIST information; and he has mentored many staff members about NBS/NIST’s history and its values. Without his contributions, the SAA would not be what it is today.
2010James WyckoffSilver Jubilee AwardFor his 25 years of continued involvement in the Standards Alumni Association (SAA). Jim’s early efforts contributed significantly to getting the SAA started:  he was the liaison between the NBS Director’s Office and the SAA; he was active in the development of the SAA’s bylaws, constitution, and the first membership directory; he served as its first secretary and continues as a contributor to the newsletter.
2009Norman BeleckiCertificate of AppreciationFor his outstanding skill and diligence in editing and producing the Quarterly SAA Newsletter.
2009Walter G. LeightSpecial AchievementLifetime outstanding achievements in providing leadership and advice to Standards Alumni Association since its inception in 1985.  For his many active roles within the SAA, for serving as a role model and inspiration for others, and for his guidance as the 2008-2009 President.
2009Rosemary MacDonaldCertificate of AppreciationFor her dedicated research and preparation of obituary notices for the Quarterly SAA Newsletter.
2009Noel RaufasteCertificate of AppreciationFor his efforts in preparing biographies of and coordinating with Portrait Gallery Honorees, as well as his service on the Museum Committee.
2009James SchooleyCertificate of AppreciationFor his creation of historical essays, organizing orientation lectures for new employees, and arranging an annual historical colloquium.
2009Anneke SengersCertificate of AppreciationFor her outstanding performance as Chair for the Portrait Gallery Committee of five years; for improving the selection process; for organizing the Annual Portrait Gallery Awards Ceremony; and for establishing harmonious relations with the active staff.
2007Elizabeth L. KingCertificate of AppreciationFor her exemplary devotion to supporting the SAA Portrait Committee and for her effective role as chair of the Membership Committee.
2007James F. SchooleyCertificate of AppreciationFor his sustained efforts in launching the Historical Lecture series and making it an annual event;  his leadership in SAA’s participation in welcoming new NIST employees; and for starting a new Culture of Excellence quarterly series for all NIST staff.
2006Jerome KrugerDistinguished ServiceFor exceptional and dedicated service to SAA, including his outstanding leadership during two distinguished terms as President and for his sustained efforts in advancing the goals and objectives of the Standards Alumni Association.
2006John E. McKinneyCertificate of AppreciationFor his continued commitment to providing critical input to the obituary column of the SAA Newsletter and his devotion to creating a first-class index of all issues of the Newsletter going back all the way to 1985.
2005John E. McKinneyCertificate of AppreciationFor his sustained support of the Association's obituaries column for the Newsletter and his contributions to the annual update of the Newsletter Index.
2005Ellen H. WeiserCertificate of AppreciationFor her leadership of the audio-visual services group and the valuable support to the ongoing  programs of the Standards Alumni Association.
2004Arden L. Bement, Jr.Hon Life MemFor his leadership of NIST and for his strong support and continued interest in the activities of the SAA and NIST. He is hereby made an Honorary Life Member.
2004John A. BennettSpecial AchievementFor exceptional and dedicated service as Editor of the SAA Newsletter which has achieved wide acclaim, providing the principal link of communication among NBS/NIST Alumni and NIST full-time Staff, and for his many useful contributions to the aims of the Association.
2004Lewis M. BranscombHonorsDistinguished former NBS Director, Founder of JILA, Renowned Scientist and Industrial Executive, and Inspirational University Professor
2004Lisa A. GreenhouseCertificate of AppreciationFor her Strong Support of the SAA Archival Activities and her Enthusiasm for Reviving the Oral History Program.
2004Ralph P. HudsonCertificate of AppreciationFor his Leadership and Sustained Efforts on the SAA Portrait Committee and his Effective Management of the September 2003 Ceremonies for the Gallery of Outstanding Scientists, Engineers and Administrators.
2004Mary Lou HudtloffCertificate of AppreciationFor her Sustained Support and Maintenance of the SAA Membership Database and her Consulting Services for Ongoing Operations.
2003Walter G. LeightDistinguished ServiceFor his decade-long service in coordinating the programs of the Association with the staff and resources of NIST in his role as Liaison Officer. In this function ensured the distribution of the SAA Newsletter to NIST staff and the placement of notices in ... the meetings. For many years he also faithfully supplied the list of Honors and Awards for the Quarterly SAA Newsletter.
2003Jorge R. UrrutiaCertificate of AppreciationFor his sustained support and encouragement over many years of the activities of the Standards Alumni Association.
2002Ralph P. HudsonDistinguished ServiceFor exceptional editorial leadership and dedication to producing the Newsletter, for the years from 1995 to 2002, an outstanding publication of the highest quality.
2002Samuel KramerDistinguished ServiceFor exceptional and dedicated service to SAA, including his outstanding leadership during two distinguished terms as President and for his sustained efforts in advancing the goals and objectives of the Standards Alumni Association.
2001Mary Lou HudtloffCertificate of AppreciationFor her sustained support in the development of the SAA member database and the automation of the membership directory.
2001Richard L. LantzCertificate of AppreciationFor his support in the preservation of the wood of the Newton Apple Tree and carpentry for the NBS/NIST Portrait Gallery of Outstanding Scientists, Engineers and Administrators.
2001David R. LideSpecial AchievementFor the leadership and perseverance as editor of the Centennial publication: A Century of Excellence in Measurements, Standards and Technology, A Chronicle of Selected NBS/NIST Publications 1901-2000.
2001Curt W. ReimannSpecial AchievementFor his leadership and perseverance in planning and executing the Historical and Reunion Day for the NIST Centennial Week on March 5, 2001.
2001Kathryn L. RitchieCertificate of AppreciationFor her outstanding support in the conservation of the Newton Apple Tree and the installation of the Robert S. Walleigh Memorial Bench.
2001John E. SandersonCertificate of AppreciationFor outstanding support by the Printing and Duplicating unit in the preparation and production of the SAA Newsletter.
2001James F. SchooleySpecial AchievementFor exceptional leadership and authoring of the third volume of the History of NBS/NIST: Responding to National Needs: The National Bureau of Standards Becomes the National Institute of Standards and Technology 1969-1993.
2001Rita V. ThomasCertificate of AppreciationFor sustained and enthusiastic support in providing the means for distributing the SAA Newsletter both inside and outside of NIST.
2001Sara TorrenceCertificate of AppreciationFor her outstanding cooperation with the SAA in planning and execution of the NIST Centennial Gala Dinner.
2000Hans P. R. FrederikseCertificate of AppreciationFor valuable services to the Association as a Director and for chairing the SAA Nominations Committee with distinction for many terms.
2000M. Leighton GreenoughCertificate of AppreciationFor serving as compositor of the SAA Newsletter, providing layout, graphics, and input to the printer, and participating in the proof-reading of final copy.
2000Ronald B. JohnsonDistinguished ServiceFor exceptional and dedicated service to SAA, including his outstanding leadership during two distinguished terms as President and for his sustained efforts in advancing the goals and objectives of the Standards Alumni Association.
2000Rosemary MacDonaldCertificate of AppreciationFor valuable services to the Association as Chair of the Membership Committee for many years and her role as liaison to the NIST Human Resources Management Division.
2000Rosemary McDonaldCertificate of AppreciationFor valuable services to the Association as a Director and as the editor of the SAA Newsletter obituaries where he has set a new standard of excellence.
2000Marietta NelsonCertificate of AppreciationFor outstanding contributions to the development of the Portrait Gallery of Outstanding Scientists and Administrators and the tireless efforts as SAA Historian in the preparation of valuable indexes for the Association and NIST.
2000Sara TorrenceCertificate of AppreciationFor her outstanding cooperation with the SAA in planning and execution of the NIST Centennial Gala Dinner.
1999John W. LyonsHonorsDistinguished former NBS/NIST Director, Renowned Scientist, Visionary in Research, and the Application of Technology; Friend, Supporter and Inspirational Leader of Scientists and Engineers.
1999Sara R. TorrenceCertificate of AppreciationFor exceptional service over many years to the Standards Alumni Association.
1998Karma A. BealCertificate of AppreciationFor exceptional service as SAA Archivist and for her invaluable assistance in retrieving biographical and historical information for use in the SAA Newsletter.
1998Kenneth F. GordonDistinguished ServiceFor exceptional leadership and dedication to the Association, while serving as President during the 1997-1998 term.
1998Verna B. HinesCertificate of AppreciationFor her regular appearances before the SAA with her reports from the Hill and the battle of the budget.
1998Mary Lou HudtloffCertificate of AppreciationFor sustained support in the development of the SAA member database and automatic production of membership reports.
1998Richard L. LantzCertificate of AppreciationFor support in the preservation of the wood of the Newton Apple tree and carpentry for the NBS/NIST Portrait Gallery of Outstanding Scientists, Engineers and Administrators.
1998William D. PhillipsHonorary MemberFor Exceptional Achievement as Co-Winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics.
1998Kathryn L. RitchieCertificate of AppreciationFor outstanding support in the conservation of the Newton Apple tree and the installation of the Robert S. Walleigh Memorial.
1998Marcia A. RobertsonCertificate of AppreciationFor her continued and cheerful support of the Association efforts to recruit new members from retiring NIST staff.
1998John E. SandersonCertificate of AppreciationFor outstanding support by the Printing and Duplicating unit in the preparation and production of the SAA Newsletter.
1998Rita V. ThomasCertificate of AppreciationFor sustained and enthusiastic support in providing the means for distributing the SAA Newsletter both inside and outside of NIST.
1998Sara TorrenceCertificate of AppreciationFor her outstanding cooperation with the SAA in the planning and execution of the NIST Centennial Gala Dinner.
1997Bernadine L. Dunfee50-yearFor 50 years of Service.
1997Anna C. FrakerCertificate of AppreciationFor her outstanding dedication as a contributing editor of the SAA Newsletter and serving as a member of its editorial board.
1997Emanuel HorowitzDistinguished ServiceFor exceptional leadership and dedication since the founding of the Association, serving four terms as President, as Chair of the Portrait Committee and of the Nominations Committee and representing the Association on the NIST Centennial Committee.
1997Ralph P. HudsonSpecial AchievementFor exceptional service as editor of the SAA Newsletter task to which he has put his very best efforts to assure the highest quality in the continuation of an outstanding publication for the SAA membership.
1997Walter G. LeightCertificate of AppreciationFor his important role as NIST/SAA Liaison in facilitating communication with the NIST Staff and his long-term dedication to the Association.
1997Howard F. McMurdie50-yearFor 50 years of Service.
1997Hans J. OserDistinguished ServiceFor exceptional and dedicated service to SAA, including his outstanding leadership during two distinguished terms as President, and for his success in advancing the objectives of the Standards Alumni Association.
1997Reeves Tilley50-yearFor 50 years of Service.
1996John S. BeersSpecial AchievementFor exceptional and dedicated service as Vice President of the SAA and for his long-term contributions as Secretary of the Association.
1996Bernadine L. DunfeeSpecial AchievementFor exceptional and dedicated service as Director and Vice President and for her continued contributions to the Association’s Newsletter, making it the premier communications vehicle with the Membership and NIST's staff.
1996Paula L. FryCertificate of AppreciationFor her many years of cheerful and sustained service to the Standards Alumni Association.
1996R. Keith KirbySpecial AchievementFor exceptional and dedicated service for many years as an SAA Vice President, as Treasurer, and Administrator of the Endowment Fund.
1996Samuel KramerDistinguished ServiceFor his sustained support of the Association and his untiring efforts in providing NIST's resources that ensure the continuing success of SAA's operations.
1996Robert SchafferCertificate of AppreciationFor exceptional and dedicated service as Director and for his continued contributions to the SAA Newsletter, making it the premier communications vehicle of the Association.
1995Reeves TilleyDistinguished ServiceFor outstanding and devoted leadership over a ten-year period, cheerfully providing on a sustained basis, many unique and exceptional contributions, serving as Program Chairman and prime mover for the SAA.
1994Churchill EisenhartDistinguished ServiceFor exceptional leadership and unprecedented dedicated service throughout the SAAs nine-year history, serving as the Founding President, its mentor and key contributor to its success, as a Contributing Editor of the SAA Newsletter, and for invaluable advisory services to NIST.
1992Karma A. BealDistinguished ServiceFor extended, dedicated, and exceptional service by providing invaluable biographical and historical information; serving as Hospitality Chairperson for quarterly meetings; and diligently editing and publishing the proceedings of NBS/NIST, A Historical Perspective: Symposium in Celebration of NIST Ninetieth Anniversary, March 4, 1991.
1989Ernest AmblerHonorary Life MemberIn recognition of his key role in the conception, initiation, and support.

 

Created June 6, 2022, Updated March 17, 2025