Laurie Locascio, former vice president for research at the University of Maryland, has assumed leadership of the National Institute of Standards and Technology nearly two weeks after the Senate approved her nomination.

As, NIST’s 17th director, she will provide guidance for the agency’s collaboration with the government, commercial and academic sectors to incorporate standards, technology and measurements into product and service innovation, the agency said Tuesday.

Locascio will also hold the title of undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology.

She previously spent 31 years at the agency prior to her appointment at the public university in late 2017. 

Her NIST career started in research biomedical engineering work and later she was promoted as acting principal deputy director and associate director for laboratory programs.