B. Carol Johnson, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technologyand resident of Gaithersburg, today received the Arthur S. Flemming Award, which recognizes exceptional young employees within the federal government.
A graduate of Harvard University (Ph.D. 1985) and the University of Colorado (B.S. 1979), Johnson has worked at NIST for 13 years, the last nine in the Optical Technology Division of the Physics Laboratory. She is recognized widely as an international leader in developing and applying optical technology for high-accuracy measurements, primarily in thermometry and remote satellite sensing.
For example, Johnson is the recognized leader in optical temperature measurement at NIST and throughout the international community. She has established absolute detector-based temperature measurement systems, leading to improved accuracy and stability in NIST’s standards for measuring optical radiation. These are used by many segments of U.S. industry, e.g., the aerospace industry and the photographic and color imaging industries.
Responding to needs of global climate change researchers, Johnson designed a NIST program to provide calibrations for satellite and Earth-based climate observation sensors. She also collaborates with researchers at the Japanese and European space agencies to ensure international consistency of all space-based data.
The awards will be presented following a black-tie dinner at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Thursday, June 10. The Flemming Award, launched by the Downtown Jaycees in 1948 and now sponsored by George Washington University, honors young federal employees who have made exceptional contributions to America. The award is named for Arthur Sherwood Flemming, whose exemplary career spanned seven decades of service to the federal government and higher education.
As a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration, NIST promotes economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards through four partnerships: the Measurement and Standards Laboratories, the Advanced Technology Program, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Baldrige National Quality Program.