Meeting Locations and Directions

Quantifying Materials in a Materials World: The United States Measurement System
Clare M. Allocca, Chief
United States Measurement System Office
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD

Dates:  March 18, 2008
Time:   6:30pm -- Dinner, 8:00pm -- Presentation
Place:  Pines of Rome, Bethesda, MD (see meeting locations link above)
RSVP:  by March 17, 2008 to Theresa Valentine Clark, chair@asm-dc.org.
Cost:  $20 for dinner, NOT including beverage. We'll order off the regular menu, but a fixed price is easiest. Students pay only $10!

Abstract:
The importance of measurement to materials science, materials production, international trade, and innovation in the US economy has traditionally been (not surprisingly) difficult to measure. This trend continues as emerging materials technologies, such as nanotechnology, bring the promise of products with transformational performance and also new challenges in standards and characterization. In some cases, a whole new language must evolve to communicate these transformations. Please join us on March 18 to find out how to access up-to-date measurements information, and the role the US Measurement System Office plays in identifying and pursuing unmet critical measurement needs.

Biography:
Clare Allocca was named the chief of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) United States Measurement System (USMS) Office in July 2007. Her office is chartered to ensure that the nation's measurement infrastructure-a large, diverse collection of private and public-sector organizations-can sustain U.S. innovation at a world-leading pace. Allocca brings a wealth of experience to her role as USMS Office Chief. Previously, she served as scientific advisor to the director of NIST's Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory. Her NIST career also includes positions in the agency's Industrial Liaison Office, Program Office, Director's Office and the Advanced Technology Program. Before joining NIST, she was a senior materials engineer for Pratt & Whitney.

Allocca holds Bachelor of Science Degrees in Materials Science and Engineering and Geochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; a Master of Science Degree in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and an Executive Master of Science Degree in the Management of Technology from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton Business School / School of Engineering).

More Info:
NIST published in 2007 a wide-ranging assessment of the state of the nation's measurement system and its impact on innovation. NIST established a permanent office in August 2007 to institutionalize and expand upon the assessment, with the objective of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the USMS. One of the key early products is a web-based Measurement Knowledge Hub with an integrated database of collected measurement needs and solutions, as well as a set of tools to allow the entry and analysis of measurement information. Examples of the potential uses of this Hub in Materials Science will be discussed, emphasizing the importance of understanding every step of the chain between measurement science and any eventual products. NIST leads the USMS effort, but success in addressing priority measurement needs depends on close collaboration with other measurement providers, standards development organizations and many others. For more on the USMS, including access to the assessment report, go to http://www.nist.gov/usms.