Sivaraj Shyam Sunder has been elevated to associate director for laboratory programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
NIST said Friday Sunder, whose appointment became official on June 1, will oversee the agency’s six science and technology laboratories and lead efforts to achieve its mission of delivering critical measurement and research services to advance technology innovation.
S. Shyam Sunder’s Career Achievements
Sunder, who’s been with NIST for nearly three decades, was most recently the director of the special programs office for over five years. In this role, he led programs for research and innovation in critical and emerging technologies. He was also the chief data officer, acting director of the standards coordination office and a senior science adviser to both NIST and the deputy secretary of Commerce at different points. Sunder was instrumental in establishing the NIST Safety Commission, which enhanced the agency’s safety protocols, and the Standardization Center of Excellence.
The senior executive was the founding director of the Engineering Laboratory, where he led a team of over 400 personnel in developing innovation and fostering industrial competitiveness for advanced manufacturing and construction. He also served as director of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory from 2006 to 2010. Before that, he was the BFRL deputy director, chief of materials and structural systems, and manager of high-performance construction materials and systems program. He started his NIST career in 1996 as a senior program analyst.
Sunder was an associate professor and senior research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 13 years.
“Shyam will play a crucial role in helping NIST accelerate advances at the forefront of measurement science, which is the foundation for unleashing technological innovation and U.S. economic competitiveness,” said Acting NIST Director Craig Burkhard.
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