Senate Committee Advances Nomination of Laurie Locascio to be NIST Director

Earlier this year, President Biden nominated Laurie E. Locascio, Ph.D., to serve as Under Secretary for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Last week, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted to advance the nomination. The nomination will now head to the full Senate for consideration.

Dr. Locascio is the Vice President for Research at the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She was previously a researcher, innovator, and scientific leader at NIST working primarily as a biomedical researcher. She has published over 100 scientific papers and holds 11 patents.

As Director of NIST, Dr. Locascio will be responsible for leading the agency in its efforts to remove major challenges to U.S. industrial competitiveness. The research being done at NIST aims to strengthen the nation’s innovation infrastructure by promoting advanced manufacturing, trade, and public safety through developing scientific standards and measurements.

President Biden has requested an increase in NIST’s annual budget from $1 billion to $1.5 billion with funds specifically targeting advanced manufacturing programs, climate change mitigation, and research infrastructure. ASME works closely with NIST and strongly advocates for a robust NIST budget.