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Happy fall from the Office of Weights and Measures! OWM is pleased to showcase a number of new initiatives, NIST publications, and ongoing technical projects and personnel updates in this issue of Measurement Matters. We recently launched Studio 220 and a new legal metrology publication series, provided training at the WWMA Annual Meeting, hosted NCWM staff for a visit to our Gaithersburg campus, welcomed two new detailees to our office, and more!
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OWM Launches Studio 220
Lights, camera, action! The vision to expand training capabilities within the OWM IACET accredited Training Program has become a reality. This summer, Rich Montgomery kicked-off the production of a variety of training products in the new OWM Studio 220 facility, including video and live-stream broadcast events.
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OWM Launches New SP 2200 Legal Metrology Publication Series
In partnership with the NIST research library, OWM has launched a new NIST Special Publication Subseries, SP 2200: Legal Metrology. The publications in this subseries provide information on the status and development of U.S. and international legal metrology documentary standards; SI usage, facilitation, and best practices; and technical guidance and training as provided by OWM. Stay tuned for two new NIST Special Publications forthcoming this fall!
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Blast from the Past |
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Quantity Versus Quality of Inspections – Taking Shortcuts
Years ago, an administrator for whom I worked proclaimed all weights and measures field officials could be separated into one of two distinct groups, “inspectors and checkers.” He bestowed the title “inspector” upon those individuals he believed demonstrated individual work habits that were necessary to properly satisfy the requirements of the position. “Checkers,” on the other hand, performed below his standards of expected performance for individuals who held the position.
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In-Person Training for Mulch and Soil Testing at the WWMA Annual Meeting
As the hosts for the Fall 2022 Western Weights and Measures Association (WWMA) meeting, Orange County (CA) Weights and Measures organized and coordinated an in-person training for attendees that included a session from NIST OWM on testing packaged mulch and soil using the test procedure in NIST Handbook 133 Section 3.10. Mulch and Soils Labeled by Volume. Believe it or not, there are some big differences between mulch and soils when it comes to determining the volume of packages using the Handbook 133 test procedure.
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Regional Measurement Assurance Program Back on the Move
The Laboratory Metrology Program is wrapping up this year’s Regional Measurement Assurance Program training for the State Weights and Measures Laboratory Programs and thanks the Kentucky, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Wisconsin Metrology State Laboratories for hosting their Regional training, with over 85 trainees that traveled and successfully completed the training.
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OWM Hosts NCWM Leadership for NIST Campus Visit
OWM was pleased to host National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) leadership, Don Onwiler, Executive Director, and Mahesh Albuquerque, Chair of the NCWM, for a visit to NIST Gaithersburg, MD campus this September 2022. Don and Mahesh met with several of the OWM staff to discuss current topics related to NCWM committee work, ideas for improving weights and measures training, and other potential NIST-NCWM activities. They also met with Rich Montgomery, OWM’s new AV Production Specialist, and toured the new OWM video “Studio 220” currently under development.
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NIST and NCWM: New Roles and New Publications for the 2023 Cycle
NIST OWM continues to work with NCWM to determine how we can best serve NCWM committees while continuing to serve the weights and measures community at large. As the breadth and complexity of Committee technical issues have continued to expand, the roles and responsibilities of the NIST Technical Advisor in the NCWM Standing Committees have been shifting to focus more on NIST’s technical role and away from administrative tasks associated with Committee work. What is changing?
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Weights and Measures in the News |
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OWM Staff Highlights |
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OWM Welcomes New Detailee, Mike Nelson
Mike joins OWM with a wealth of standards development experience and expertise in metrology he has gained during a NIST career that began in 2010. Initially a graduate student scientific intern performing analytical chemistry research, he became a staff scientist of the Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) Chemical Sciences Division in 2013 after receiving a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park. Chief among his duties was development of a variety of documentary and measurement standards intended to promote innovation and quality in services in the US, as well as international trade. Mike has a deep appreciation for the vital roles that metrology and standardization play in our quality of life. He looks forward to applying and growing his knowledge while contributing to the OWM mission.
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OWM Welcomes New Detailee, Maritoni (Toni) Litorja
Toni Litorja is a staff research chemist in the Sensor Science Division of the Physical Measurement Laboratory at NIST. She began her career at NIST in 1999 as research fellow in the Surface and Microanalysis Research Division after a postdoctoral research appointment in the Chemical Dynamics Group at Argonne National Laboratory. Toni has been working on tools for dissemination of the SI in optical technologies for metrology of dimensions (length) and substance quantification. She works on applications of measurement science of emergent optical technologies in diverse application areas such as image-guided surgery, toolmark image analysis in forensics, and climate research, and notes that it is often difficult to envision a clear path to SI traceability in these more nascent field applications. She hopes to contribute to OWM’s mission as well as learn and apply how legal metrology drives the various measurement device communities to adopt SI traceability.
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