Alexander Maranghides

Alexander Maranghides
NationalityAmerican
EducationB.S. Mechanical Engineering; M.S. Fire Protection Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Known forWildland–urban interface (WUI) fire research; large‑scale fire testing
AwardsSamuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal (2025);[1] NIST Gold Medal (2023);[2] NIST Bronze Medal[3]
Scientific career
FieldsFire protection engineering, Wildland–urban interface fire research
InstitutionsNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Alexander Maranghides is an American fire protection engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He is best known for his research on wildland–urban interface (WUI) fires and large-scale fire testing.

Education and early career

Maranghides earned both a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Prior to joining NIST, he worked for seven years at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, serving as Test Director for the halon replacement program and co-inventing enhancements to gaseous suppression systems.[4]

Career at NIST

At NIST, Maranghides led the Large Fire Laboratory and has overseen hundreds of large-scale fire experiments. For over twenty years, he has focused on wildland–urban interface fires. He led all four of NIST’s WUI fire case-study reconstructions, including the Waldo Canyon Fire and the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California.[5] His work has informed building standards and regional fire safety guidance.[2]

Maranghides leads WUI research combining field data collection, post-fire reconstruction, and controlled experiments. His team has investigated major wildfire disasters like Waldo Canyon and Paradise Camp Fire, identifying ember vulnerabilities, evaluating evacuation protocols, and developing guidance such as the ESCAPE framework and HMM.[5][6]

Awards and honours

  • Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal (2025) — Awarded June 16, 2025, by the Partnership for Public Service in recognition of “decades of important research into how fires that occur in communities adjacent to wildlands spread, what can be done to prevent them and how to protect life and property.”[7]
  • NIST Gold Medal (2023) — As part of a group for “technical innovations that revealed for the first time the complex behavior of WUI fires and resulted in practical tools.”[8]
  • NIST Bronze Medal — Recognized by NIST for contributions to fire science and community fire resilience.[9]

Selected publications

  • Maranghides, A., Link, E. D., Nazare, S., Hawks, S., McDougald, J., Quarles, S. L., & Gorham, D. J. (2022). WUI Structure/parcel/community fire hazard mitigation methodology. National Institute of Standards and Technology.[10]
  • Maranghides, A., & Link, E. (2023). WUI Fire Evacuation and Sheltering Considerations: Assessment, Planning, and Execution (ESCAPE). National Institute of Standards and Technology.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Alexander Maranghides Receives the 2025 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal". NIST. 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  2. ^ a b "2023 Gold Medal Award – Alexander Maranghides et al". NIST. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  3. ^ "Awards – NIST". NIST. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  4. ^ "Alexander Maranghides". NIST. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  5. ^ a b "Fighting Fire With Research: How a Scientist Is Protecting People and Property in Wildfires". NIST. 2025-06-13. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  6. ^ "Hazard Mitigation Methodology (HMM)". NIST. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  7. ^ "Alexander Maranghides Receives the 2025 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal". NIST. 2025-06-16.
  8. ^ "2023 - Gold Medal Award---Alexander Maranghides , Eric Link, Shonali Nazare, Kathryn Butler, Erik Johnsson, Marco Fernandez". NIST. 2024-01-12.
  9. ^ "2014 - Bronze Medal Award---Alexander Maranghides". NIST. 2022-05-25.
  10. ^ Maranghides, Alexander; Link, Eric; Nazare, Shonali; Hawks, Steven; McDougald, Jim; Quarles, Stephen; Gorham, Daniel (2022-03-01). "WUI Structure/Parcel/Community Fire Hazard Mitigation Methodology". NIST. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  11. ^ Maranghides, Alexander; Link, Eric (2023-08-21). "WUI Fire Evacuation and Sheltering Considerations: Assessment, Planning, and Execution (ESCAPE)". NIST. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
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