Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick swore in Arvind Raman as the new director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and under secretary of commerce for standards and technology on June 30.
The Senate confirmed Raman on May 18. NIST announced the appointment in a July 6 press release.
As under secretary and NIST director, he will oversee the agency’s collaboration with industry, academia, and other federal agencies to develop the measurements, technologies, and standards that support U.S. innovation.
“We are excited to have Dr. Arvind Raman join Commerce as NIST’s new director,” Lutnick said in the press release. “His experience in conducting and leading innovative research will be a tremendous asset to the Department of Commerce and help American technology and manufacturing continue to thrive.”
“NIST is one of America’s most important science institutions thanks to its unique mission and the expertise of its employees,” said Raman. “I am honored to be nominated to this position by President Trump and Secretary Lutnick, and I look forward to maximizing NIST’s ability to accelerate American innovation through partnerships with industry, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.”
Raman joins NIST from Purdue University, where he has served as the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering since 2023. He joined Purdue as an assistant professor in 2000 and later became the Robert V. Adams Professor of Engineering.
His research has focused on atomic force microscopy, human biomechanics, and electronics manufacturing, and he has collaborated with NIST researchers in nanotechnology throughout his career.
During his confirmation hearing, Raman vowed to accelerate and scale technological innovation through partnerships across industries, and with entrepreneurs and stakeholders.
He also committed to supporting President Donald Trump’s AI Action Plan by “maximizing innovation in the entire AI tech stack, including chips in biotechnology, in the quantum industrial base and advanced manufacturing.”
Craig Burkhardt had been serving as the acting director of NIST since January 2025.