Arvind Raman has been sworn in as the fifth under secretary of commerce for standards and technology and the 18th director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. Raman was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 18, 2026.
In February 2023, Raman was named as the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering at Purdue University in Indiana. Starting as an assistant professor at Purdue in 2000, he received multiple awards for teaching and was appointed the Robert V. Adams Professor of Engineering in 2012. His research has focused on atomic force microscopy, human biomechanics and electronics manufacturing. Starting early in his career, he has often collaborated with NIST researchers in nanotechnology.
As director, Raman will guide NIST’s collaborative efforts with industry, academia and other government agencies to develop and apply the technology, measurements and standards needed to create innovative U.S. products and services. He will also steer NIST’s work to accelerate American technological innovation through research and development that supports science-based standards and to maximize innovation by fostering research that applies AI to the development of semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing.
“We are excited to have Dr. Arvind Raman join Commerce as NIST’s new director,” said Secretary Lutnick. “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’s honors and awards include the Gustus Larson Memorial Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Keeley fellowship from the University of Oxford, and a National Science Foundation CAREER award. In 2008 he was named a Purdue University Faculty Scholar, and in 2012 he was elected a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and in 2026 a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Raman has a bachelor of technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, an M.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
