SES Emerging Professionals Award

This award is authorized by the Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Awards Committee, to recognize dedication to the profession and emerging leadership qualities in the field as perceived by his/her peers, through:

• Article authorships, presentations, and/or panel participation promoting good standardization practices; and
• Promotion of the standards profession by creating awareness and supporting professional certification.

Nominations are considered on an annual basis.  Only individuals who have been a standards professional for seven years or less, and are current members of SES in good standing are eligible for nomination.

SES Emerging Professional Award Recipients

2023 Recipient: Wathma Jayathilake

Wathma Jayathilake is a Standards Scientist at UL Standards & Engagement where she is responsible for driving human health and safety considerations in standards. Her work has been a foundational driver for establishing the impact and relevancy of UL standards on human and environmental health. 

Wathma holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Ottawa. She joined UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) as a Standards Development Project Manager in 2018 where she led standards development activities in the subject area of Building and Life Safety Technologies. In her new role in the ULSE Data Science & Engineering Team, she has been instrumental in identifying hazards and risk factors in the areas of human health and climate adaptation to strengthen the technical rigor of ULSE standards.  She has developed a human health and climate change ecosystem in support of ULSE’s safety science initiative. 

Wathma’s passion and drive to make a positive impact on her community and the world exemplify the qualities of a leader in the standards profession.

2023 Recipient: Stacey Sullivan

Dr. Stacey Sullivan is a Senior Standards Advisor with the FDA’s Standards & Conformity Assessment Program (S-CAP) in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health.  She started with the FDA in 2014 in the Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories as a research engineer conducting studies in corrosion, infrared thermometry and biomechanics before starting her journey as a Standards professional in 2021.  She has been a member of ASME throughout her career and is currently an ASME Global Section Ambassador.  She enjoys mentoring students at local universities and hosting research interns at her work.  Before earning her PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Sullivan worked in R&D for a medical device manufacturer.