James Olthoff is the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s first chief metrologist and serves as the primary representative, both nationally and internationally, of NIST’s role as the national metrology institute of the United States. He works with NIST leadership to ensure that NIST’s core measurement capabilities remain among the best in the world. Dr. Olthoff has served in many leadership positions at NIST, including associate director of laboratory programs and acting NIST director. He received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Maryland and did postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine before coming to NIST almost 40 years ago.