Brad Conrad Email & Phone Number

Brad R. Conrad, Ph.D. is the Education and Workforce Development Manager within the Partnerships and Outreach Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Advanced Manufacturing (OAM). Brad received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Maryland – College Park and a B.S. in physics with a minor in history from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).Prior to NIST, Brad served as the Director of two membership societies for the American Institute of Physics: the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma, the Physics and Astronomy Honor Society. There he supported a network of over 800 undergraduate physics and astronomy student groups at two-year/four-year institutions and +80,000 lifetime members. Earlier he was a tenured Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Appalachian State University, where his research focused on nanoelectronics, acoustics, and microscopy. Before becoming a professor, he was a National Research Council (NRC) Fellow at NIST in the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory where he studied the electrical properties of organic single crystals.Brad is a fellow of the American Association of Physics Teachers and has given over 200 talks at national conferences or universities and published articles on workforce skills and technical careers for undergraduates. In addition, he has served as Director/Chair for many large U.S.-based education and workforce-based conferences, served as Executive Editor for several physical science education publications, mentored over 50 research students, and served/chaired several committees for various associations. Brad has served as a committee member on the U.S. Liaison Committee for the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. Brad volunteers with AAPT, APS, NSBP, SPS, and SACNAS.At the Office of Advanced Manufacturing, Brad strengthens collaboration across education and workforce development initiatives for Manufacturing USA and participating U.S. government agencies. Brad leads advanced manufacturing education and workforce development partnerships and outreach opportunities to expand awareness and engagement with industry stakeholders, educators, workers, and students.Personal motto: One spherical cow approximation at a time...Research specialties: AFM, thin film growth, Nanodevice fabrication, STM/STS, Small Molecule Organic Transistors/Photovoltaics, Polymers, CNTs, UHV systems, Device Physics, Electronic Noise Measurements, Surface Science, Material Science, and Acoustics.

Listed skills include Afm, Microscopy, Physics, Nanotechnology, and 37 others.

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  Education And Workforce Development Manager

  National Institute Of Standards And Technology (Nist)

  Aug 2023 - Present - Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States

  As the Education and Workforce Development Manager within the Partnerships and Outreach Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Advanced Manufacturing (OAM), I cultivate and execute advanced manufacturing education and workforce development partnerships and outreach opportunities within AMNPO for the Manufacturing USA network. I lead advanced manufacturing education and workforce development partnerships and outreach opportunities to expand awareness and engagement with industry stakeholders, educators, workers, and students. As part of this role, I convene the EWD network, develop educational programs, collect data on effectiveness of programs, and support offerings to engage Manufacturing USA Institutes, workers, educators, and students. This includes organizing and conducting outreach to educate existing and potential stakeholders on the scientific, technical, and programmatic offerings of the advanced manufacturing education and workforce program. Additionally, I research, analyze and coordinate across the office, agencies, and institutes on new partnership and programming. Overall my role is to develop a network wide education and workforce development strategy and implement that strategy with the network and partners. I also represent NIST on the DOC Commerce Workforce Council to develop and implement the Department’s workforce policy, programs, and initiatives and coordinate with other federal agencies. The council conducts an annual inventory of programs, funding, and personnel; setting metrics and goals on the aggregate outcomes of the Department’s programs; and publishing an annual report on its activities.Overall, I support workers, industry, students, and educators with in the advanced manufacturing (STEM) ecosystem.