Recognized as an expert on high temperature polymers, Dr. Teddy M. Keller, head of the Advanced Materials Section at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Feb. 10, for his outstanding performance and scientific achievements accomplished throughout his 40-year career at NRL.
During his tenure, Keller provided a significant service to the Navy and the nation through an improved understanding on the synthesis and development of high temperature and nanostructural materials for marine and aerospace applications. He pioneered research on phthalonitrile- and carborane/siloxane-based polymers along with his recent work on the fabrication of unidirectional carbon nanotubes (CNT) and the novel polymeric synthesis of nanocrystalline refractory ceramics for use in hypersonic, armor, energy, and catalytic applications.
As a result of his outstanding research innovations, Keller has received many awards and honors. He was recipient of the NRL Sigma Xi Applied Award for 2002, NRL Edison Award on five occasions for patent of the year, and received the 2007 Alan Berman Basic Research Publication Award and the 2010 Alan Berman Applied Research Publication Award from the Chemistry Division.
In 2008, and again in 2015, he received the NRL Technology Transfer Award, and the prestigious NRL Review Award in 2008. Keller has presented his research at numerous invited talks pertaining to the research activities of his section. His inventions have produced nearly 150 patents.
The Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award Medal is a decoration presented by the United States Secretary of the Navy to recognize civilian employees who have provided exceptional services that have made a significant and positive impact on a specific activity or geographic location. It is the third highest honorary award that the Navy can bestow upon a civilian employee.