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Technical Excellence 2023

Below is a list of quick links to each of the 2023 MML Accolades for Technical Excellence where each accolade is described and a list of the awardees and their contributions are provided. 

MML Collaboration and Teamwork

To recognize and foster teamwork across divisions and across OUs and beyond, honoring those, as a leader or as a team, who have used collaboration for successful project development and problem-solving.

 

Lyschelle Mitchell
Lyschelle Mitchell
Jody Sandel
Jody Sandel

Jamie Baker*, Valentina Coppola, LaQuetta Fields*, Christine Kuenzli*, Lyschelle Mitchell, Laurell Phillips*, Jody Sandel, and  Andrew Uribe* 

For supporting the Biomolecular Measurement Division (645) and the Applied Chemicals Division (647) with numerous time-critical bankcard purchases. 
*not pictured

 

 

 

 

Bergman
Kumiko
Staymates

Michael Bergman, Kumiko Lippold, Matthew Staymates

For the collaboration and leveraging of expertise from NIST, BARDA, and NIOSH in a strategic partnership for the Mask Innovation Challenge, helping to advance innovative and scientifically validated mask designs for future pandemics and public health emergencies.

 

 

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Measurement Science Excellence

To recognize MML staff and associates who conduct research that solves critical stakeholder problems and inspires innovations in measurement science.

 

Profile Photo of W. Sean McGivern

W. Sean McGivern & Jeffrey Manion* 

For outstanding work developing new instrumentation that fills a key measurement gap and enables dynamic column breakthrough measurements at the critical, atmospherically relevant conditions needed to study carbon dioxide adsorption/desorption phenomena of candidate direct air capture sorbents. 

*not pictured

 

 


 

Dash

Timothy “Dash” Weeks 

For designing state-of-the-art instrumentation to enable mechanical testing in extreme environments coupled with key advancements regarding uncertainty quantification in fatigue and fracture. 

 

 

 


 

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Measurement Services Excellence

To recognize superior work in development of measurement services in the areas of Reference Materials (RMs)/Standard Reference Materials (SRMs), Standard Reference Instruments (SRIs), documentary standards, quality assurance programs, and interlaboratory studies.

 

SRM team

Mark Cronise, Debra Ellisor, Jennifer Hoguet, Amanda Moors, Jennifer Ness, Michael Williamson 

For the development and transport of seven large quantity, high-quality, and homogenous candidate SRMs/RMs/RGTMs that were produced at NIST-Charleston and transported safely and securely to NIST-Gaithersburg. 

 


 

Rowane

Aaron Rowane

For highly accurate and timely measurements of the thermophysical properties of low-GWP refrigerants, contributing to the replacement of fluids with high global-warming potential. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

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Science Data Management and Capabilities

To recognize those who build the infrastructure for the next generation of data science tools and data sets in order to facilitate scientific innovation.

 

woman in a blue dress and white sweater stands next to an electron microscope
Credit: R. Wilson/NIST
Ryan White

June Lau, Joshua Taillon, Ryan White

For optimization of MML Laboratory Information Management Systems for instrument and experiment operations with the implementation of MARLIN, an innovative tool for scheduling, configuration, and acquisition of sample and activity data critical to production of research data and its analysis.

 

 

Tytus Mak

Tytus Mak

For developing software tools essential to the operation of the NIST Mass Spectrometry Data Center, including an automated pipeline to extract, process and visualize raw mass spectral data for both metabolomics- and proteomics-based experiments. 

 

 

 

 

Image of Benjamin palce
Ragland

Benjamin Place & Jared Ragland  
For development of a Web-based user interface for the collection and analysis of PFAS mass spectra and the associated metadata. 

 

 

 

 

 

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MML Postdoctoral Fellow

To recognize the superior work of the postdoctoral fellows who work with MML staff on scientific projects.

 

Avery

Avery Baumann 

For outstanding contributions to the high-throughput measurements of polymer/MOF composite membrane structure using x-ray scattering, as well as being an integral leader and contributor to the MML DAC program. 

 

 

 

 

Zachary

Zachary Buck 

For outstanding measurements of physical properties of steel microstructures in the presence of hydrogen, which led to the discovery of a previously unknown strain-induced phase transition.  

 

 

 

man in plaid shirt

Zachary Goecker 

For exceptional contributions to the NIST Mass Spectrometry Data Center, including but not limited to expanding the scope and applications of Glycopeptide Abundance Distribution Spectra (GADS) to study critical viruses such as Influenza. 

 

 

 

 

Orion

Orion Kafka 

For outstanding creative achievements in the novel experimental testing and three-dimensional analysis of metal additive manufacturing materials to be used in critical applications. 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of Tom Kolibaba

Thomas Kolibaba 

For outstanding advancements in resin chemistry for photopolymer additive manufacturing ranging from novel coatings to reference materials. 

 

 

 

 

 

Meredith

Meredith Seeley

For outstanding method development of qualitative and quantitative microplastic pollution measurements using pyrolysis-GC/MS that will serve a network of international researchers.  

 

 

 

 


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MML Early Career

To recognize the superior work of MML associates and staff in the early portion of their career at NIST.

 

Jake Benzing wears safety glasses as he bends over to adjust piece of scientific equipment in the lab.
Credit: R. Wilson/NIST

Jake Benzing 

For leading the implementation of new mechanical testing capabilities at extremely low temperatures, to enable safer design of cryogenic piping and welded pressure vessels used in green energy power plants and aerospace applications. 

 

 

 


 

Jennifer Berry

Jennifer Berry 

For inventive and collaborative experimental designs that maximize the forensic information extracted from complex samples such as simulated fire debris and one-of-a-kind breath samples from study participants who use cannabis.
 

 

 

 

 

Photo of Alex Landauer

Alexander Landauer

For contributions to the field of mechanics through the advancement of digital image correlation methods, digital volume correlation methods, and data frameworks for non-linear soft materials. 

 

 

 

 

 

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MML Student Intern

To recognize the superior work of the interns that work alongside MML staff on either scientific or administrative projects.

 

Megha
Katalina

Megha Jasti & Katalina Li

For development of AI tools for the Integrated NIST Knowledge Portal and Cord-19 webpage.

 

 

 

 

 

Amrit

Amrit Kafle

For exceptional performance and outstanding accomplishments in the synthesis, characterization, and analysis of Li-containing garnet-type solid state electrolytes for energy storage applications.

 

 

 

 

 

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MML Distinguished Associate

To recognize associates or previous staff members who have made outstanding contributions to MML goals.

This accolade is for work that earned the NIST staff member(s) a DOC-level award in the previous year, and is designed to recognize associates or previous staff members that were critical to the success of the work.

 

David McColskey

Jolene Splett* & David McColskey

For increasing cardiac device reliability through improved measurements and standards and therefore bettering the quality and length of life for the millions of Americans who suffer from cardiac arrythmias. 

*For significant contributions that was awarded a 2022 DOC Silver medal with Timothy Quinn and Enrico Lucon

*not pictured

 

Marc Cicerone headshot

Marcus Cicerone

For development of broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy for quantitative, comparable chemical imaging in complex samples.

*For significant contributions that was awarded a 2022 Bronze medal with Charles Camp Jr. and Young Jong Lee

 

 

 

Bill

William (Bill) MacCrehan

For developing analytical methods used to characterize the safety and effectiveness of hand sanitizers used to slow the spread of COVID-19.

*For significant contributions that was awarded a 2022 Bronze medal with Mary Bedner, Jacolin Murry, Aaron Urbas, and Walter Wilson

 

 

 

 

Matthias

Matthias Thommes

For determining the first-ever, high-pressure reference isotherms using nanoscale-porous reference material adsorbents.

*For significant contributions that was awarded a 2022 Bronze medal with Huong Giang T. Nguyen, Laura Espinal, and Blaza Toman

 

 

 

 

Created August 30, 2023, Updated September 6, 2023