James Turner Named NIST Deputy Director

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Director William Jeffrey announced that James M. Turner has been selected as NIST deputy director and will begin on April 16. In his new role, Turner will assist in setting the strategic direction of NIST, the US Commerce Department agency responsible for promoting US innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology. Turner, a physicist, is currently an assistant deputy administrator in the US Department of Energy (DoE) managing the National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Nuclear Risk Reduction. He oversees construction projects in Russia associated with the permanent shutdown of their last three nuclear weapons-grade plutonium-production reactors. Turner has also held several senior management posts at DoE concerned with nuclear weapons safety and assisting the former Soviet republics in securing their nuclear weapons after the fall of the Soviet Union. He headed the department's Oakland Operations Office for six years. Among other honors, he has received the US Government Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service, three times received the DoE's Exceptional Service Award, and the Secretary of Energy Gold Award.