The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has named UT Southwestern Director of Quality, Safety, and Outcomes Education Patrice Griffith to the 2018 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners. The Baldrige Award is the nation’s highest honor for organizational innovation and performance excellence.

Appointed by the NIST Director, examiners are responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the Baldrige Award, as well as other assessment-related tasks. The examiner board is composed of more than 300 leading experts selected from industry, professional, trade, education, health care, and nonprofit organizations across the United States.

Ms. Griffith has participated in the Baldrige program since 2000, serving in many roles, including senior examiner and alumni examiner, team leader, scorebook editor, mentor, outreach speaker, examiner in training facilitator, process coach, and case study writing team. She is currently a Fellow for the Texas Award for Performance Excellence program, having served in that program for more than 20 years as an examiner, judge, and trainer, on the Board of Directors and Board of Overseers. Ms. Griffith earned her MBA with emphasis on quality and industrial management from the University of Dallas and her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Michigan State University.