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People
NIST Veteran Became U.S. Government’s Top Chemist
People: Willie May took over agency charged with research and standards in forensic science, cybersecurity, and more
by Andrea Widener
December 21, 2015
| A version of this story appeared in
Volume 93, Issue 49
Willie E. May became the U.S. government’s top chemist on May 4 when the Senate confirmed him as the 15th director of the National Institute of Standards & Technology. May, who grew up in segregated Birmingham, Ala., has worked at NIST for 44 years, rising through the ranks from on-the-ground analytical chemist to director. He leads NIST at a time when it is the go-to federal agency for research and standards in important areas such as forensic science, cybersecurity, and manufacturing.
C&EN's YEAR IN REVIEW
Top Headlines of 2015
- Chemical Makers Looked To Big Deals
- NASA Got Up Close And Personal With Pluto
- Opposition To Neonicotinoids Intensified
- 2015 Nobel Prizes In Science At A Glance
- Climate Pact Clinched
- Little Good News For Chemistry Job Outlook In 2015
- Pfizer To Merge Again, This Time With Allergan
- Oil And Gas Industry Under Pressure
- Greening Up Fracking
- An Industry In Spin Cycle
- Finally, Emoji For Chemists
- A Big Deal For Chemists
- Tianjin Explosion Put Spotlight On Safety
- Women Assumed Leadership Roles At American Chemical Society
- Artificial Ingredients In The Crosshairs
- Jacqueline K. Barton, Unwavering Chemistry Champion
- House Science Committee Chair Pummeled Science Agencies
- NIST Veteran Became U.S. Government's Top Chemist
- Gene-Editing Technique Raised Ethics Questions
- World Chemical Production At A Glance
- Classroom Fires During Science Demonstrations Spark Concern
- Climate Was Right For Deal-Making
- American Chemical Society Dives Deeper Into Open Access With The Debut Of ACS Omega
- Lego Began Research On Switching To A Biobased Plastic
- New Chair Took The Helm At Troubled Chemical Safety Board
- Genetically Modified Foods In The Spotlight
- Overhaul Of U.S. Chemical Law Moved
- ACS Scholars Program Turned 20
- American Chemical Society Expanded Its Global Reach
- Scientists Called For Standardized Antibodies
Top Research of 2015
- Flexible Electronics You Can Inject
- Special Delivery For Sensitive Reagents
- Yeast Programmed For Opioid Total Synthesis
- Miracle Machine Builds Molecules On Demand
- Nickel Shines As A Catalyst
- 3-D Printing Takes On A New Dimension
- Atomically Thin Films Grow In Number
- Digging In The Dirt Yields Novel Bacteria Fighter
- Keeping GMOs On A Leash
- A Liquid With Holes In It
- Electron Microscopy Provides Unprecedented Close-ups
Revisiting Research of 2005
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