NIST CTL Honors Excellence with Commendations Awards

Roger Blalock (670), for increasing CTL research productivity and efficiency through network architecture enhancements. Roger’s network architecture solution reduced data processing time by over one-half, allowing the MMWave research team to increase research capacity while reducing data transfer and transaction monitoring time. The solution also reallocated data to a more appropriate location, thereby reducing CTL data storage costs. 

Alison Kahn, Gary Howarth, Peter Fink, Chic O’Dell, Charlsea Hansen, Samuel L. Ray, Hunter Culler, and Lisa Soucy (all from 671), for outstanding contributions to enhancing efficiency in research, specifically in Quality of Experience (QoE), the awardees optimized the QoE system to measure NIST-developed metrics for first responders' voice communications. They improved system components for better operations and developed comprehensive documentation to ensure repeatable research protocols. This initiative streamlined operations strengthened QoE infrastructure, and provided critical insights, advancing organizational goals. 

Eugene Song (674), for outstanding achievements in advancing the interoperability of Internet of Things (IoT) devices through commissioning a new IoT interoperability testbed, using that testbed to develop open-source software tools that advance interoperability testing and analysis, and leading the development of revised interoperability standards to transfer impacts to industry. 

Wyatt Suess (671), for the superb work in enhancing the capabilities and efficiency within the CTL Innovation Network. Suess made significant improvements to the network's functionality, security, and efficiencies to make it easier to manage and provide a better research environment for CTL scientists. 

Alexandra Artusio-Glimpse (672), for leadership in organizing the 2024 Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements (CPEM), commitment to the NIST core values, and successful coordination of laboratory tours have undoubtedly enhanced the visibility and influence of CTL. The contributions of the awardee have set a new standard for collaboration and outreach at CTL, making Artusio-Glimpse a deserving candidate for the Outstanding Impact in External Collaboration and Outreach award. 

Lilia Hannachi, Kotikalapudi Sriram, Kyehwan Lee, Oliver Borchert, and Douglas C. Montgomery (all from 673) with the Robust Inter-Domain Routing Project, for the outstanding technical guidance and custom metrology of the project team, that shaped and enabled new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) policies that are driving the deployment of emerging internet routing security technologies in US Federal networks and commercial Internet Service Providers. The internet industry widely credits NIST contributions for ensuring the resulting FCC regulation and ONCD deployment plan embody a practical approach to achieving the goals outlined in the National Cybersecurity Strategy. 

Joshua A. Gordon (672) and Benjamin L. Moser (672), for the industry-changing impact to the antenna measurement industry through pioneering research in the field of robotic antenna measurement systems. The work of the awardees has been credited by industry as the primary driver for the adoption of robotic antenna measurement systems which now represents a healthy cross section of all antenna measurement systems being deployed and has allowed industry to greatly increase their ability to serve the United States and international customer base. 

Jihoon Bang (672), for contributing a core competence to ongoing efforts to develop and improve NIST channel sounding measurements that directly impact communications standards, industry stakeholders, and ongoing projects across CTL. The awardee has made critical contributions to the successful development of the NIST 140 GHz channel sounder, ongoing improvements in our 28 GHz sounding capability, as well as a CHIPS and Science Act-funded project to develop a 15 GHz system. 

Florian Bergmann (672), for developing out-of-plane permittivity metrology from 10 MHz to 110 GHz and providing new insights into the fundamental limitations of a seminal measurement technique. This work represents a new capability that fills a measurement gap, making NIST a world leader in microwave material metrology. 

Jeremy N. Thomas (672), for the superb work developing and demonstrating cryogenic radio frequency calibration techniques that are suitable for dissemination. 

Noah Schlossberger (672), for leading a fundamental measures (IMS) project that was behind schedule and achieving the first cold atom Rydberg BBR and thermometry measurements to reach a critical three-year milestone. For writing a review paper for Nature within a three-month time frame in a rigorous manner, leading to quick publication. For determining the dipole interaction governing the atomic response to have better calibrated field measurements and for contribution in implementing, paper writing, and completing various other projects in the lab. 

Administrative Staff Member of the Year, Konstantina DiMenza (670), for the incredible work towards the continual functioning of the division, as well as work in creating community among staff members by organizing and contributing to division/lab cookouts and other gatherings. 

Scientific/Technical Staff Member of the Year, Monika Bochert (671), for the superb work simultaneously contributing across three different portfolios and teams, consistently providing extreme value in the areas of location-based services, user experience, and program management. The awardee is uniquely situated among three concurrent groups with Bochert’s skills highly sought after division-wide, yet remains fully able to participate within each team, possessing rare talents for relationship-building, organization, and compartmentalization. 

Scientific/Technical Staff Member of the Year, Anna Fox (672), for the superb efforts advancing the research and measurement dissemination for the Quantum Voltage Project. The awardee is critical for the entire operation of the project, from device design and fabrication, to packaging, system development, electronics support design, and test integration. Without these key contributions, there would be zero deliverables from the project. 

Associate Staff Member of the Year, Raphael Barbau (674), for the exceptional work developing an automated translator from SysML2/SysPhS2 system architecture models to widely used 1D simulation tools. SysML 2 is a major overhaul of the most widely used language for engineering complex systems, while SysPhS2 extends it for modeling 1D energy flows between system components, and with operation environments. The software translates these models for simulation on Mathworks Simulink/Simscape and OpenModelica, two well-known 1D simulation tools. 

Scott Ledgerwood (671), for spearheading the development of a groundbreaking new facility that combines a cutting-edge virtual reality system, room scale location tracking, and measurement collection networks to allow for critical research into how future user interfaces should/will impact first responders when they are performing their lifesaving missions. 

Stephanie Layman (671), Terese Manley (671), and Ellen Ryan (671), who created two initiatives to support commercialization. One was the final stage of UAS 5.0 3D Mapping Challenge where teams were taken through a 4-month “Solution Accelerator” that was designed to assist with building small businesses and reaching technical goals. At the same time, this nominee ran a separate business accelerator program called the PULSE Accelerator which was open to companies focused on or having future intentions of developing UAS for public safety.