NIST 2017 Awards Recognize ITL Staff for Outstanding Performance

At the 45th Annual NIST Awards Ceremony, 16 ITL employees were recognized for their service to the country.

The ceremony was held Dec. 13, 2017, concurrently at NIST’s main campuses in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado. 

The awardees are as follows:

U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service

The Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service, the highest honor conferred upon a Commerce Department employee. It is bestowed for “distinguished performance characterized by extraordinary, notable or prestigious contributions that impact the mission of the Department of Commerce and/or one operating unit and which reflect favorably on the Department.” Awards are given in the following categories: leadership, personal and professional excellence, scientific/engineering achievement, organizational development, customer service, administrative/technical support, and heroism.

• Bradley Alpert (ITL), W. Bertrand (Randy) Doriese (PML), Ralph Jimenez (PML), Luis Miaja Avila (PML), Galen O'Neil (PML), Kevin Silverman (PML), Daniel Swetz (PML) and Joel Ullom (PML) – “For advancing materials development by creating tabletop X-ray tools that rival or exceed those available only at massive national user facilities.”

Bronze Medal Award for Superior Federal Service

The Bronze Medal Award for Superior Federal Service—the highest honor presented by NIST. Since 1966, the award has been given for significant performance characterized by outstanding or significant contributions that have increased the efficiency and effectiveness of NIST.

• Peter Bajcsy (ITL) – “For the development of advanced image analytics that have enabled new computer science-based measurement capabilities.”
• Kathryn Butler (EL) and Susanne Furman (ITL) – “For development of science-based guidance on the use of evacuation elevators that enhances the safety of people with mobility impairments during fire emergencies.”
• Sheng Lin-Gibson (MML), Steven Lund (ITL) and Sumona Sarkar (MML) – “For development of an experimental and statistical framework for comparing cell-counting measurements fundamental to biotechnology.”
• Mark Badger (ITL), Michael Bartock (ITL), Paul Black (ITL), Jeffrey Cichonski (ITL), David Cooper (ITL), Hildegard Ferraiolo (ITL), Barbara Guttman (ITL) and Murugiah Souppaya (ITL) – “For developing a series of outstanding technical guidelines addressing critical cybersecurity needs prioritized by the White House.”

Judson C. French Award

The French award, first presented in 2000, is granted for significant improvement in products delivered directly to industry, including new or improved NIST calibration services, Standard Reference Materials and Standard Reference Databases.

• David Catoe (MML), Lindsay Harris (MML), Jennifer McDaniel (MML), Marc Salit (MML), Daniel Samarov (ITL) and Justin Zook (MML) – “For development of a suite of whole-genome human reference materials designed to advance clinical applications of genome sequencing.”

Safety Award

The NIST Safety Award, first established in 1979, is granted to recognize NIST employees and organizations for substantial contributions to improving safety at NIST.

• Carol Clark (ITL), Eileen Conley (ITL) and Sharon Wentling (ITL) – “For proactive leadership of the NIST Information Technology Laboratory-wide Safety Clean-Up initiative and the early adoption of the NIST Office of Safety, Health and Environment’s Workplace Inspection Reporting System application.”

More information and photos are available here