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OWM Welcomes New Detailee, Mike Nelson

Dr. Michael Nelson

Mike Nelson

Mike joins OWM with a wealth of standards development experience and expertise in metrology he has gained during a NIST career that began in 2010. Initially a graduate student scientific intern performing analytical chemistry research, he became a staff scientist of the Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) Chemical Sciences Division in 2013 after receiving a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park. Chief among his duties was development of a variety of documentary and measurement standards intended to promote innovation and quality in services in the US, as well as international trade. Michael has held multiple leadership roles representing the US and NIST to international standards development organizations (SDOs), including Technical Committees of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), on Reference Materials and on Quantities and Units, and the US Pharmacopeia (USP). He also represents NIST and serves advisory roles as an international metrology expert within the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM) working groups.

Mike has developed many reference materials used around the world that support, through measurement traceability, reliable delivery of products across various manufacturing sectors, clinical diagnostics, forensics, food nutrition labeling, and pharmaceuticals regulation. He has expertise in the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and has led research into methods for its quantitative application. He has also collaborated extensively with the NIST Statistical Engineering Division to develop new statistical methods and tools that help chemical analysts improve the efficiency and rigor of their measurements (ABACUS app). Mike has enjoyed teaching several graduate-level classes, both in the US and abroad, on fundamental principles of metrology and their practical application in measurement laboratories. He has also served as a peer assessor for the National Metrology Institute of South Africa.

Since joining NIST, Mike has received a Department of Commerce Bronze Award for development of the first Primary Standard for quantitative NMR, multiple awards from the Cooperation on International Traceability in Analytical Chemistry (CITAC) for publications and services toward improved comparability and SI traceability in chemical measurement, and NIST MML Accolades for services in metrology education and outreach.

In short, Mike has a deep appreciation for the vital roles that metrology and standardization play in our quality of life. He looks forward to applying and growing his knowledge while contributing to the OWM mission.

Outside of his professional life, he likes to consider himself a history buff, outdoor enthusiast, and traveler who also enjoys a good read and experimenting in the kitchen.

See Mike's NIST Staff Page

Released September 23, 2022, Updated March 7, 2023