July 25, 2005 — The U.S. Senate on Friday confirmed William Alan Jeffrey, a veteran manager of federal science and technology development, as the 13th director of the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Jeffrey, 45, was nominated by President Bush on May 25, 2005, to succeed Arden Bement, who was appointed director of the National Science Foundation in November of last year. NIST Deputy Director Hratch Semerjian has served as acting director in the interim.

Jeffrey has been involved in federal science and technology programs and policy since 1988. Previous to his appointment as director of NIST he served as senior director for homeland and national security and the assistant director for space and aeronautics at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

Prior to that he was the deputy director for the Advanced Technology Office and chief scientist for the Tactical Technology Office with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). While at DARPA, Jeffrey developed research programs in communications, computer network security, novel sensor development and space operations.