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 Arvind Raman, who was appointed by President Donald Trump and assumed office on June 1, 2026. Locascio is a biomedical researcher, former National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) official, and current vice president for research at two University of Maryland locations.
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 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, appointing Dr Cheryl L. Shavers to the position.
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
No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Tenure President 1 Patrick D. Gallagher January 4, 2011 June 19, 2014 Barack Obama 2 Willie E. May May 5, 2015 January 3, 2017 - Kent Rochford January 4, 2017 January 20, 2017 January 20, 2017 October 15, 2017 Donald Trump 3 Walter Copan October 16, 2017 January 20, 2021 - James K. Olthoff January 20, 2021 April 19, 2022 Joe Biden 4 Laurie E. Locascio April 19, 2022 December 31, 2024 - Charles H. Romine January 1, 2025 January 20, 2025 - Craig Burkhardt January 20, 2025 June 29, 2026 Donald Trump 5 Arvind Raman June 30, 2026 Present
See also List of directors of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
References
External links