NIST Digital Archives
Not a member yet
149436 research outputs found
Sort by
WILLIAM H. TWILLEY
No full textWILLIAM H. TWILLEY
TENURE AT NBS/NIST: 1978-2004
INDUCTED: 2025
B: 1947, Washington, D.C.
D: 2015, Pendleton, South Carolina
EDUCATION:
University of Maryland, BS (Agricultural Engineering), 1971
CITATION: For realizing the most significant measurement achievement in fire science of the twentieth century, the measurement of heat release rate using oxygen consumption calorimetry
POSITIONS HELD AT NBS/NIST:
Engineering Technician, Fire Safety Engineering Division/Fire Performance Evaluation Division/Fire Measurement
and Research Division, Center for Fire Research, National Engineering Laboratory, 1978-1991
Engineering Technician, Fire Measurement and Research Division/Fire Safety Engineering Division/Fire Research Division, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, 1991-2004
SIGNIFICANCE OF WORK;
For over two decades, Mr. Twilley played a pivotal role in the design and implementation of the most significant fire measurement achievement of the twentieth century, the ability to measure heat release rate using oxygen consumption calorimetry. Through his exceptional skill, Mr. Twilley transformed the idea of oxygen consumption calorimetry from a theoretical principle into a practical, widely adopted method. From the 1970s through the 1990s, Mr. Twilley collaborated with a diverse group of scientists and engineers to develop a technique for quantifying heat release rate - a key metric for assessing fire hazard. Mr. Twilley designed tests to study and define the limitations of the instrument and independently executed those experiments. Mr. Twilley developed the Cone Calorimeter for Controlled Atmosphere Studies that could operate in an oxygen-depleted environment, simulating the conditions of a fully-developed room and contents fire, and measure the consequences of those conditions on material flammability, including the heat release rate, and toxic gas and soot production. Mr. Twilley provided support to other federal government agencies that sought to build the instrument. Currently, more than 300 laboratories and universities worldwide use cone calorimeters based on Mr. Twilley's design. Mr. Twilley also provided critical contributions to a multi-agency, international research program for cleaning up oil spills by providing outstanding technical design, fabrication, and operations support for full-scale crude oil/diesel fuel fire experiments, including instrumentation for gas-phase measurement of combustion effluent in the atmosphere using an instrument-laden tethered blimp. The work led to the establishment of in situ burning as a tool to reduce the negative impact of oil spills on sensitive marine environments. His work assisted the industry in developing improved fire-resistant oil containment booms and more advanced technology to monitor airborne smoke and particles. An ASTM standard was developed based on this work. Throughout his career, Mr. Twilley was highly respected as a researcher, and his opinion was sought by scientists and engineers alike for his design ingenuity and troubleshooting acumen.
HONORS:
NIST Bronze Medal (1984)
R&D 100 Award (1988)
NIST Safety Award (1990)
Lecturer, University of Tokyo on the cone calorimeter (1993)
U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal (2002)
PUBLICATIONS:
More than 50 publications including:
Twilley, W.H., and Babrauskas, V., User's Guide for the Cone Calorimeter, NIST SP-745 (1988
Oral History of John ‘Jan’ Hall August 5, 2025 National Institute of Standards and Technology [Supplemental Narrative]
No full textOral history of physicist John “Jan” Hall conducted on August 5, 2025, by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Jan discusses his post-doc appointment at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C. and his later moving to Boulder, Colorado to be the second employee of the NBS / University of Colorado Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics or JILA. Other topics covered include JILA’s first home at the Armory and its move to a new building on the university campus; work with Lewis Branscomb, Richard Barger, Dick Deslattes, Ken Evenson, James Faller, and Peter Bender, and with ARPA, the NSF, and LIGO; and research on stabilized lasers, photo detachment, and optical frequency combs. Included separately is an additional written narrative authored by Jan Hall and submitted on the same day as the oral history
Daniel T. Pierce Oral History - January 23, 2025
No full textDaniel T. Pierce was a physicist at NIST from approximately 1975 to 2008, working in the Electron Physics Group and later in the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. His research was primarily in surface physics with special emphasis on the development of spin-based measurements and their application to surface and thin film magnetism, such as imaging magnetization in magnetic nanostructures and measuring the interlayer coupling of magnetic multilayers. In this interview Dan discusses his time in the Peace Corps teaching in Nepal; his early career in Switzerland; his recruitment to the National Bureau of Standards; his research with polarized electrons and scanning tunneling microscopes; and shares reminisces and anecdotes about co-workers, post-docs, and social life at NIST. Interviewers were Keith Martin, Bert Coursey, John Unguris, Joseph Stroscio, and Robert Celotta
ANNIE J. SMITH
No full textANNIE J. SMITH
TENURE AT NBS/NIST: 1989-2018
INDUCTED: 2025
B: 1943, Morristown, Tennessee
EDUCATION:
Attended the University of Tennessee and East Tennessee
CITATION:
For exemplary contributions to NIST Boulder Laboratory administrative programs, overcoming Division and Organizing Unit boundaries, supporting NIST's goals
POSITIONS HELD AT NBS/NIST:
Secretary, Microwave Metrology Group, Electromagnetic Fields Division, Center for Electronics and Electrical
Engineering, National Engineering Laboratory/Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL),
1989-1993
Division Secretary and Office Assistant, Electromagnetic Technology Division, EEEL, 1993-1994
Division Secretary and Office Assistant, Optoelectronics Division, EEEL, 1994-2008
Executive Assistant to the NIST Boulder Laboratory Director, 2009-2014
Executive Assistant to the Director of NIST Communications Technology Laboratory and to the NIST Boulder Laboratory Director, 2014-2018
SIGNIFICANCE OF WORK:
Annie Smith's extraordinary contributions to NIST spanned decades and Organizational Units. She advanced the NIST mission, supporting the work and touching the lives of virtually every staff member in the Boulder Labs and many in Gaithersburg. Ms. Smith served as the institutional memory and go-to administrative lead for Boulder. She solved campus-wide problems, generously provided help to anyone who asked, and kept Boulder operating smoothly. For example, in 2008, NIST faced an existential catastrophe after a plutonium spill in Boulder. Ms. Smith served as the NIST's Chief Scientist's primary aide arranging meetings, briefings, and teleconferences; preparing a wide variety of official correspondence, reports, and documents; and tracking requests, responses to requests, and numerous time-sensitive action items for the NRC, all of which were critically important to NIST's successful response and reputational rehabilitation. In 2010, Ms. Smith proactively addressed the coordination of visitor requests under new NIST-Boulder security requirements, greatly enhancing Boulder's ability to continue hosting foreign visitors. She was a source of corporate knowledge and as a problem solver, organized NIST Boulder social activities, and ensured that NIST staff, associates and visitors were provided the appropriate level of support and respect. Ms. Smith's impact on key NIST priorities has been extraordinary and lasting. She was a quintessential enabler. She was a primary administrative resource for NIST-Boulder, as assistant to Director, Boulder Laboratories; played a critical role as administrative coordinator during response to plutonium spill incident; and revamped administrative processes for NIST Boulder Laboratories, and NIST's Communication Technology Laboratory's Manual.
HONORS:
NIST Eugene Casson Crittenden Award (2012 and 2018
Fabrication Technology Office staff
No full textThe NIST Fabrication Technology Office staff in the machine shops on October 16, 2024.
Back Row, Left to Right - Brian Yanick, Kelly Watkins.
Front Row, Left to Right - Mark Hutton, Aaron Young, John Kisner, Casey Shatzley, James Zastrow, Justin Cullum, Jarred Nace, Michael Beacham, Travis Shatzley, Luther Vulgamott, Andrea Boyd, Kristin Lee, Quonte Little, Michael Berilla
Andrew K. Persily
No full textANDREW K. PERSILY
NBS/NIST: 1982-2024
INDUCTED: 2024
B: 1954, Chicago, Illinois
EDUCATION:
Beloit College, BA (Physics, Mathematics & Elementary Teaching), 1976
Princeton University. MA (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), 1979
Princeton University, PhD (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), 1982
CITATION: For technical leadership in the fields of building energy-use and indoor environmental performance that reduce energy use and improve building occupant health
POSITIONS HELD AT NBS/NIST:
NAS/NRC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Center for Building Technology (CBT), National Engineering Laboratory (NEL), 1982-1983
Mechanical Engineer, Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Group, Building Physics Division/Building Environment Division, CBT, NEL 1983-1990
Leader, Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Group, Building Environment Division, Building and Fire Research Laboratory/Energy and Environment Division, Engineering Laboratory (EL) 1990-2015
Chief, Building Energy and Environment Division, EL, 2015-2021
NIST Fellow, Building Energy and Environment Division, EL, 2021-2024
HONORS:
NIST Bronze Medal (1989)
Fellow: International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (2002); ASTM (2002); and ASHRAE (2004)
ASTM Award of Merit (2002)
ASHRAE Standards Achievement Award (2003), Distinguished Service Award (2006), Exceptional Service Award (2009), and Environmental Health Award (2010)
U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal (2008)
Washington Academy of Sciences: Excellence in Research in Engineering Sciences Award (2018)
U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal (2020)
NIST Edward Bennett Rosa Award (2020) and NIST Safety Award (2021)
MEMBERSHIPS:
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
ASTM International
International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate
PUBLICATIONS:
More than 300 publications including:
Persily, A.K., “Evaluating Building IAQ and Ventilation with Indoor Carbon Dioxide”, ASHRAE Transactions, 103, Part 2 (1997)
Persily, A.K., et al., “Modeled Infiltration Rate Distributions for U.S. Housing”, Indoor Air 20 (6): 473-485 (2010)
Persily, A.K., and Emmerich, S.J., “Indoor Air Quality in Sustainable, Energy Efficient Buildings”, HVAC&R Research 18: 4-20 (2012)
Persily, A.K., “Field Measurement of Ventilation Rates”, Indoor Air 26 (1): 97-111 (2016)
Persily, A.K., “Challenges in Developing Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality Standards: The Story of ASHRAE Standard 62”, Building and Environment 91: 61-69 (2015)
Persily, A.K., and de Jonge, L., “Carbon Dioxide Generation Rates for Building Occupants”, Indoor Air 27 (5): 868-879 (2017
Furlani_Cita_2024-12-04_Transciption
No full textCita M. Furlani was a computer scientist and director of the NIST Information Technology Laboratory from 2006-2012. She had previously served as the NIST Chief Information Officer from 2002-2005, and as Acting Director of the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) and Director of the ATP Information Technology and Electronics Office. She first joined the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1981 to work in the Automated Manufacturing Research Facility, and later was a computer scientist and group leader in the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory. She began her career at the Army’s Diamond Ordnance Fuze Laboratory in 1960, then located on the NBS campus in Washington, DC. Furlani earned an M.S. in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University and a B.A. in physics and mathematics from Texas Christian University
Wayne M. Itano
No full textWAYNE M. ITANO
NBS/NIST Boulder: 1979-2009
INDUCTED: 2024
B: 1951, Pasadena, California
EDUCATION:
Yale University, BS (Physics), 1973
Harvard University, PhD (Physics), 1979
CITATION: For broad and impactful contributions to atomic physics, including seminal studies on fundamental limits to laser cooling, the blackbody radiation shift in atomic clocks, and quantum projection noise
POSITIONS HELD AT NBS/NIST:
Physicist, Ion Storage Group, Time and Frequency Division, National Measurement Laboratory/Physics Laboratory (PL), 1979-2009
Scientist Emeritus, Time and Frequency Division, PL/Physical Measurement Laboratory, 2009-Present
HONORS:
U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal (1985)
NIST Samuel Wesley Stratton Award (1989)
Fellow, American Physical Society (1990)
Science and Technology Agency Fellow, Communications Research Laboratory, Tokyo (1990)
American Physical Society Outstanding Referee (2009)
Visiting Fellow, University of New South Wales, Sydney (2009)
Guest Researcher, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Tokyo (2009)
Visiting Researcher, University of Auckland (2009)
MEMBERSHIPS:
American Physical Society
Optica
PUBLICATIONS:
More than 300 publications including:
Wineland, D.J., and Itano, W.M., “Laser Cooling of Atoms”, Phys. Rev. A 20, 1521-1540 (1979)
Itano, W.M., Lewis, L.L., and Wineland, D.J., “Shift of 2S½ Hyperfine Splittings Due to Blackbody Radiation”, Phys. Rev. A 25, 1233-1235 (1982)
Bergquist, J.C., Hulet, R.G., Itano, W.M., and Wineland, D.J., “Observations of Quantum Jumps in a Single Atom”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 1699-1702 (1986)
Itano, W.M., Heinzen, D.J., Bollinger, J.J., and Wineland, D.J. “Quantum Zeno Effect”, Phys. Rev. A 41, 2295-2300 (1990)
Itano, W.M., et al., “Quantum Projection Noise: Population Fluctuations in Two-level Systems”, Phys. Rev. A 47, 3554-3570 (1993)
Itano, W.M., et al., “Complementarity and Young’s Interference Fringes from Two Atoms”, Phys. Rev. A 57, 4176-4187 (1998
Ellen M. Voorhees
No full textELLEN M. VOORHEES
NBS/NIST: 1996-2023
INDUCTED: 2024
B: 1958, Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania
EDUCATION:
Pennsylvania State University, BS (Computer Science), 1979
Cornell University, MS (Computer Science), 1982
Cornell University, PhD (Computer Science), 1985
CITATION: For profound and sustained impact on the direction of information retrieval, information access, and search technology research and development
POSITIONS HELD AT NBS/NIST:
Computer Scientist, Information Access and User Interfaces Division, Computer Systems Laboratory/Information Access Division, Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), 1996-2005
Leader, Retrieval Group, Information Access Division, ITL, 2005-2011
Computer Scientist, Information Access Division, ITL, 2011-2021
NIST Fellow, Information Access Division, ITL 2021-2023
HONORS:
NIST Bronze Medal (2006)
Fellow, Washington Academy of Sciences, and Award for Computer Science (2016)
Fellow, Association for Computing Machinery (2018), ACM Gerald Salton Award (2024)
Bensalem High School Distinguished Alumna (2020)
U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal (2021)
U.S. Department of Commerce Ron Brown Excellence in Innovation Award (2021)
Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Glasgow (2023)
MEMBERSHIPS:
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
ACM Special Interest Group on Information Retrieval (SIGIR) Academy
Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
Association for Computational Linguistics
Washington Academy of Sciences
PUBLICATIONS:
More than 50 publications and three patents including:
Wolfson, C.D., Brehm, F.W., Flatley, M.M., and Voorhees, E.M., Method and Apparatus for Executing a Program in a Heterogeneous Multiple Computer System, U.S. Patent 5,126,932 (1992)
Voorhees, E.M., and Gupta, N.K., Facilitating World Wide Web Searches Utilizing a Multiple Search Engine Query Clustering Fusion Strategy, U.S. Patent 5,864,845 (1999)
Voorhees, E.M., and Gupta, N.K., Method for Facilitating World Wide Web Searches Utilizing a Document Distribution Fusion Strategy, U.S. Patent 5,864,846 (1999)
Voorhees, E.M., “Variations in Relevance Judgments and the Measurement of Retrieval Effectiveness”, Information Processing and Management 36 (5) 697-716 (2000)
Voorhees, E.M., “The TREC Question Answering Track”, Natural Language Engineering 7 (4) 361-378 (2001)
Buckley, C., and Voorhees, E.M., “Retrieval Evaluation with Incomplete Information”, Proceedings of the 27th Annual International ACM SIGIR Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval, 25-32 (2004
Oral History Interview of Cita M. Furlani, April 12, 2024
No full textCita M. Furlani was a computer scientist and director of the NIST Information Technology Laboratory from 2006-2012. She had previously served as the NIST Chief Information Officer from 2002-2005, and as Acting Director of the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) and Director of the ATP Information Technology and Electronics Office. She first joined the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1981 to work in the Automated Manufacturing Research Facility, and later was a computer scientist and group leader in the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory. She began her career at the Army’s Diamond Ordnance Fuze Laboratory in 1960, then located on the NBS campus in Washington, DC. Furlani earned an M.S. in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University and a B.A. in physics and mathematics from Texas Christian University