Fountain, a Senior Executive Service-level scientific and professional executive, is among 102 Meritorious Rank recipients from across the entire federal government. In the spring he will attend a ceremony for the winners at the State Department where the Secretary of the Army will present the award.

The Presidential Rank Awards Program was established in 1978 to recognize a select group of career members of the Senior Executive Service for exceptional performance over an extended period of time. Later, the program was amended to extend eligibility to senior career employees with a sustained record of exceptional professional, technical, or scientific achievement. No more than five percent of federal career Senior Executive Service-level members may receive the Meritorious Rank Award.

“It is very humbling to be recognized at that level,” said Fountain. “The basic research we do here is a team effort. I feel fortunate to have been able to support it by providing a strategic vision and creating the conditions for the researchers to excel.”

Fountain joined ECBC as the senior research scientist for chemistry in 2007 and immediately took on the task of reorganizing ECBC’s basic research program. Four years after his arrival, ECBC became the top ranked of the Army’s seven research, development, and engineering centers in the area of basic research. As part of this effort, he dedicated himself to applying ECBC’s research capabilities to more directly support the Army’s programs, including explosives detection. Most recently, Fountain was hand-picked to lead the Department of Defense Anthrax Spore Gamma Ray Inactivation Study to establish a methodology for preparing anthrax for shipment.