Winner of the 2009 Wildhack Award:
Professor Andrew Wallard, Director of the BIPM, has received the 2009 William Wildhack Award from NCSL International. This award is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions to the field of metrology and measurement science, consistent with the goals of NCSL International. It is the highest award of the NCSLI and is normally presented at the annual NCSLI Workshop and Symposium. The nominee selection was announced in San Antonio, Texas, on 27 July 2009, by Immediate Past President Carol Hockert, who chaired the advisory panel. The recipient, however, was not able to attend the workshop so the presentation of the award was made on 6 November 2009, at the BIPM.
Professional Life:
Professor Wallard has spent his lifetime as a dedicated student, scientist and teacher in the metrological world. He was awarded a first class honors degree in physics from St Andrews University, Scotland in 1968, and a PhD in 1972. He then worked as a laser physicist at the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) until 1978. After that, he spent 12 years in various central Government positions, including the Prime Minister's Cabinet Office, and the Department of Trade and Industry where he was a special advisor to various Ministers. He has broad experience of science and technology policy and also managed several industrial programs of research support which were operated by the UK Government and the European Community.
Returning to the NPL in 1990 as Deputy Director, Professor Wallard subsequently became the NPL's Chief Metrologist. In 2004, he became Director of the BIPM.
He has published some forty refereed scientific papers, generally on laser physics and metrology, numerous conference proceedings, and has contributed to various books on metrology.
It gets better and better:
The above accomplishments alone have earned Andrew awards for outstanding contributions to the field of metrology, but there is more to tell.
Andrew has always striven for collaboration, not competition and consensus rather than conflict. He recognizes that metrology cannot function unless it is cooperative and international – at its very core is the fact that people have to work together – from industry, national laboratories, universities, and, vitally, from all over the world. With these ideas in mind, Andrew became an active participant on the NCSL International board of directors in 2003, and has played a significant role in its success as an international organization. His guidance and leadership have influenced many NCSLI decisions, and his willingness to serve regularly as a speaker, panelist and host at the annual NCSLI Workshop and Symposiums speaks volumes about the character of the person. One trait which Andrew possesses that has made him successful in the international circuit is diplomacy. Andrew is a true diplomat, and he has used this skill for the betterment of NCSLI and the metrology world as a whole.