National Institute of Standards and Technology scientist Callie Higgins will receive one of the top awards for government service for her work on technology that detects and fixes microscopic flaws in 3D-printed products.
Higgins, a materials research engineer at NIST, will receive the Emerging Leaders Medal, one of seven Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals awarded by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, at a ceremony at in Washington, D.C., on Thursday night.
“…Higgins and her colleagues invented a groundbreaking technology to detect and remedy microscopic flaws that threaten the safety and reliability of 3D-printed products, potentially revolutionizing the medical, plastics, coatings, optics and additive manufacturing fields,” the organization said in a news release.
The recognition reflects the value of the field as well as the importance of women in science, Higgins said.
“I feel very fortunate that I get to work in a field that has the potential to have so much impact,” Higgins said. “If we get this right, it could change the world. It sounds hyperbolic, but I’m starting to believe it, and I think it’s really encouraging to see that people outside of my field are starting to recognize that as well.”
Higgins said while she grew up surrounded by powerful women, she recognizes that not everyone has role models that set an example of what’s possible.
“It’s really difficult to see yourself in a position of success or power if there aren’t other people who are in equivalent positions, so I feel fortunate I can possibly be that for some kids down the line,” she said.
Bob Keller, leader of the Nanoscale Reliability Group at NIST, said he nominated group member Higgins for the award because she shows the most unique combination of valuable skills he’s ever seen in someone so early in their career. Higgins is 31.
“Callie shows this combination of incredible scientific and technical expertise coupled with what I could arguably say is the most genuine concern for the betterment of our whole organization,” Keller said. “She co-invented this amazing technique that can help improve the quality of the materials we can make by 3D printing, so that takes a ton of energy and effort and time, and she also serves as an advocate for early-career staff members at NIST.”
By designing and constructing the world’s first hybrid atomic force microscope-3D printer, Higgins and her colleagues “invented a technique that enables industry, government and academic scientists to detect micro- and nano-scale physical and chemical weak points that can cause the failure of 3D-printed products,” Keller wrote in his nomination.
Before now, products could only be viewed at millimeter scales. With the new technology, 3D-printed products can be studied at sub-micrometer levels.
“This type of data has never before been available and allows detection of thousands or even millions of microscopic imperfections that can pervade parts made by even state of the art 3D print technologies,” Keller wrote.
Higgins said she would not be where she is today without the people she works with at NIST, including Keller and project leader Jason Killgore, who have listened to and supported some of Higgins’ “not traditional” ideas.
“There is no way I could have done any of this without an incredible support system at NIST,” she said. “Mentorship is really important, and so is finding people to be your advocates.”
