The US Senate confirmed Raymond Kammer to head the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). His confirmation comes after a long tenure with the department, where he held several prominent posts. From 1980 to 1991 and from 1993 to the present, Kammer was the deputy director of NIST. From 1991 to 1993 he was the deputy undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, serving as chief operating officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Kammer had been the agency's acting director since the departure of Arati Prabhakar, who resigned in March to enter the private sector.