View source for Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology

{{Short description|Official in the US Department of Commerce}}{{Infobox official post
| post           = United States<br>Under Secretary of Commerce<br>for Standards and Technology
| flag           = Flag of the United States Department of Commerce.svg
| flagborder     = 
| flagsize       = 150
| insignia       = 
| insigniaborder = yes
| insigniasize   = 120
| image          = Laurie E. Locascio 2022 (cropped).png
| incumbent      = [[Laurie E. Locascio]]
| incumbentsince = April 19, 2022
| formation      = January 4, 2011
| first          = [[Patrick D. Gallagher]]
| website        = [http://www.nist.gov Official website]
}}

The '''Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology''', or '''USC(ST)''', is a high-ranking official in the [[United States Department of Commerce]] and the principal advisor to the [[United States Secretary of Commerce]] on the technological development. The Under Secretary is dual hatted as the '''Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology''' within the Commerce Department.

The Under Secretary is appointed by the [[President of the United States]] with the consent of the [[United States Senate]] to serve at the pleasure of the President. The current Under Secretary is  [[Laurie E. Locascio]], who was appointed by President [[Joe Biden]] and assumed office on April 19, 2022. Locascio is a [[Medical research|biomedical researcher]], former [[National Institute of Standards and Technology]] (NIST) official, and current Vice President for Research at two [[University of Maryland]] locations.<ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=President Biden Announces Seven Key Nominations |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/07/16/president-biden-announces-seven-key-nominations-4/ |location=[[Washington, D.C.]] |publisher=[[White House]] |date=July 16, 2021 |access-date=July 17, 2021}}</ref>
==Overview==
As the Director of NIST, the Under Secretary is responsible for promoting American innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

With the rank of ''Under Secretary'', the USC(ST)/Director is a Level III position within the [[Executive Schedule]]. The Under Secretary ranks sixth in the line of succession for the office of Secretary of Commerce.
==History==
The position of Under Secretary/Director was created by the [[America COMPETES Act|America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010]], which was signed into law by President [[Barack Obama]] in 2010.

In the Electronic Commerce Technology Promotion Act, the [[106th Congress]] created a position for Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology,<ref name="2000 Act">{{cite web|title=Electronic Commerce Technology Promotion Act |url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/106th-congress/senate-report/349/1|access-date=20 February 2017}}</ref> appointing Dr [[Cheryl L. Shavers]] to the position.<ref name="Shavers appointment">{{cite web|last1=US Senate|title=PN26 — Cheryl Shavers — Department of Commerce|url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/106th-congress/26|website=Congress.gov|publisher=US Congress |access-date=20 February 2017}}</ref>
==Reporting officials==
NIST officials reporting to the USC(ST)/Director include:
*Associate Director for Laboratory Program/Principal Deputy
*Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services
*Associate Director for Management Resources
==Officeholders==
{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes an ''[[acting (law)|Acting]] Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology''|border=black}}
{| class="wikitable" style="clear:right; text-align:center"
!No.
!Portrait
!Name
!Took office
!Left office
!Tenure
! colspan="2" |[[President of the United States|President]]{{small|serving under}}
|-
|1
|[[File:Patrick D. Gallagher official photo.jpg|100px|Patrick D. Gallagher]]
|[[Patrick D. Gallagher]]
|January 4, 2011
|June 19, 2014
|{{age in years and days|2011|01|04|2014|06|19}}
| rowspan="3" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
| rowspan="3" |[[Barack Obama]]
|-
|2
|[[File:Willie E. May.jpg|100px|Willie E. May]]
|[[Willie E. May]]
|May 5, 2015
|January 3, 2017
|{{age in years and days|2015|05|05|2017|01|03}}
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background:#E6E6AA" | -
| rowspan="2" style="background:#E6E6AA" |[[File:Kent Rochford, NIST Acting Director.jpg|100px|Kent Rochford]]
| rowspan="2" style="background:#E6E6AA" |[[Kent Rochford]]
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |January 4, 2017
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |January 20, 2017
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |{{age in years and days|2017|01|04|2017|01|20}}
|-
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |January 20, 2017
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |October 15, 2017
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |{{age in years and days|2017|01|20|2017|10|15}}{{small|({{age in years and days|2017|01|04|2017|10|15}} total)}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
| rowspan="2" |[[Donald Trump]]
|-
|3
|[[File:Walter G. Copan official photo.jpg|100px|Walter Copan]]
|[[Walter Copan]]
|October 16, 2017
|January 20, 2021
|{{age in years and days|2017|10|16|2021|01|20}}
|-
| style="background:#E6E6AA" | -
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |[[File:James K. Olthoff, NIST Associate Director.jpg|100px|James K. Olthoff]]
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |[[James K. Olthoff]]
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |January 20, 2021
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |April 19, 2022
| style="background:#E6E6AA" |{{age in years and days|2021|01|20|2022|04|19}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
| rowspan="2" |[[Joe Biden]]
|-
|4
|[[File:Laurie E. Locascio 2022 (cropped).png|100px|Laurie E. Locascio]]
|[[Laurie E. Locascio]]
|April 19, 2022
|Present
|{{age in years and days|2022|04|19}}
|}
==See also==
*[[List of directors of the National Institute of Standards and Technology]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.nist.gov}}
{{USDC agencies}}