U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
03/18/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/18/2026 05:29
Navy Researcher Receives NRL’s Award for Breakthroughs in Interfacial Science
NEWS | March 18, 2026
Navy Researcher Receives NRL's Award for Breakthroughs in Interfacial Science
By Jameson Crabtree, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Kathryn Wahl, Ph.D., a senior researcher at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), has been awarded the 2025 E.O. Hulburt Annual Science Award for pioneering research that has advanced the scientific understanding of adhesion, lubrication, and nanoscale contact mechanics.
The Hulburt Award is one of NRL's highest honors and recognizes significant scientific contributions by a civilian researcher at the laboratory.
"Over the course of Kathryn Wahls's career here at NRL, which has been 32 plus years, she has demonstrated an ability to insightfully ask the right questions and devise experimental approaches to answer those questions," said John Russell, Ph.D., NRL Chemistry Division superintendent. "She sets a high bar for herself and those around her, which has led to many significant advances."
Wahl received the award for her groundbreaking work investigating interfacial contacts and processes associated with tribology, nano mechanics, and biofouling, which has improved understanding of how materials interact, degrade, and adhere under real world conditions.
Her research integrated optical spectroscopy with tribological instrumentation, enabling scientists to directly observe chemical and structural changes occurring at sliding interfaces. This capability allowed for real-time measurement of interfacial film thickness and chemical transformations during frictional contact, helping clarify how layered lubricants behave and degrade under stress.
"These techniques allowed us to see what was happening inside sliding contacts in ways that hadn't been possible before," Wahl said. "Much of the progress we've made came from collaborations with extremely talented colleagues across the Laboratory and the broader scientific community."
Wahl's work also helped establish new experimental methods for studying nanoscale adhesion and contact mechanics, including the development of a nanoscale Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) adhesion method that is now widely used to introduce students and researchers to nanoscale contact stiffness phenomena.
Beyond tribology, Wahl's interdisciplinary research has significantly advanced the understanding of biofouling and barnacle adhesion, an area critical to naval operations. By combining chemical, biological, and materials science approaches, her team helped reveal the chemical and mechanical mechanisms that enable barnacles to attach to surfaces underwater.
The work has informed the design of next-generation underwater adhesives and environmentally friendly antifouling technologies, with potential applications for naval platforms.
Over more than a decade, Wahl led collaborative research programs bringing together scientists from multiple NRL divisions to investigate barnacle adhesion chemistry, biomechanics, and surface interactions.
"These efforts fundamentally changed what we know about how barnacles adhere and how that adhesion can be controlled," Wahl said.
"Underwater adhesion has always been a challenge, and it's been overcome because of Dr. Wahl's work," said Capt. Randy Cruz, commanding officer of NRL. "This is a very distinguished award and well deserved."
Her research has also contributed to improved understanding of tribocorrosion, the combined effects of friction and corrosion in naval materials, including studies related to wear and pitting in marine bearing systems and components.
Established in 1955 upon the retirement of Dr. E.O. Hulburt, NRL's first director of research, the Hulburt Award recognizes scientists whose work has made lasting contributions to scientific understanding and innovation.
Reflecting on her career, Wahl credited NRL's collaborative environment and sustained research investment for enabling long-term scientific discovery.
"The willingness of NRL scientists to work together across disciplines has been critical to these advances," she said. "Programs supported by the Laboratory's basic research investments and partnerships with organizations like the Office of Naval Research have allowed teams to pursue challenging problems over many years. I have had fantastic support, supervisors and management my entire career here."
About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL, located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.
NRL offers several mechanisms for collaborating with the broader scientific community, within and outside of the Federal government. These include Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), LP-CRADAs, Educational Partnership Agreements, agreements under the authority of 10 USC 4892, licensing agreements, FAR contracts, and other applicable agreements.
For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at [email protected].
The Hulburt Award is one of NRL's highest honors and recognizes significant scientific contributions by a civilian researcher at the laboratory.
"Over the course of Kathryn Wahls's career here at NRL, which has been 32 plus years, she has demonstrated an ability to insightfully ask the right questions and devise experimental approaches to answer those questions," said John Russell, Ph.D., NRL Chemistry Division superintendent. "She sets a high bar for herself and those around her, which has led to many significant advances."
Wahl received the award for her groundbreaking work investigating interfacial contacts and processes associated with tribology, nano mechanics, and biofouling, which has improved understanding of how materials interact, degrade, and adhere under real world conditions.
Her research integrated optical spectroscopy with tribological instrumentation, enabling scientists to directly observe chemical and structural changes occurring at sliding interfaces. This capability allowed for real-time measurement of interfacial film thickness and chemical transformations during frictional contact, helping clarify how layered lubricants behave and degrade under stress.
"These techniques allowed us to see what was happening inside sliding contacts in ways that hadn't been possible before," Wahl said. "Much of the progress we've made came from collaborations with extremely talented colleagues across the Laboratory and the broader scientific community."
Wahl's work also helped establish new experimental methods for studying nanoscale adhesion and contact mechanics, including the development of a nanoscale Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) adhesion method that is now widely used to introduce students and researchers to nanoscale contact stiffness phenomena.
Beyond tribology, Wahl's interdisciplinary research has significantly advanced the understanding of biofouling and barnacle adhesion, an area critical to naval operations. By combining chemical, biological, and materials science approaches, her team helped reveal the chemical and mechanical mechanisms that enable barnacles to attach to surfaces underwater.
The work has informed the design of next-generation underwater adhesives and environmentally friendly antifouling technologies, with potential applications for naval platforms.
Over more than a decade, Wahl led collaborative research programs bringing together scientists from multiple NRL divisions to investigate barnacle adhesion chemistry, biomechanics, and surface interactions.
"These efforts fundamentally changed what we know about how barnacles adhere and how that adhesion can be controlled," Wahl said.
"Underwater adhesion has always been a challenge, and it's been overcome because of Dr. Wahl's work," said Capt. Randy Cruz, commanding officer of NRL. "This is a very distinguished award and well deserved."
Her research has also contributed to improved understanding of tribocorrosion, the combined effects of friction and corrosion in naval materials, including studies related to wear and pitting in marine bearing systems and components.
Established in 1955 upon the retirement of Dr. E.O. Hulburt, NRL's first director of research, the Hulburt Award recognizes scientists whose work has made lasting contributions to scientific understanding and innovation.
Reflecting on her career, Wahl credited NRL's collaborative environment and sustained research investment for enabling long-term scientific discovery.
"The willingness of NRL scientists to work together across disciplines has been critical to these advances," she said. "Programs supported by the Laboratory's basic research investments and partnerships with organizations like the Office of Naval Research have allowed teams to pursue challenging problems over many years. I have had fantastic support, supervisors and management my entire career here."
About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL, located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.
NRL offers several mechanisms for collaborating with the broader scientific community, within and outside of the Federal government. These include Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), LP-CRADAs, Educational Partnership Agreements, agreements under the authority of 10 USC 4892, licensing agreements, FAR contracts, and other applicable agreements.
For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at [email protected].
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