Patrick Gallagher,
director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
has named three distinguished experts from industry and academia to
serve on the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT), the
agency’s primary private-sector policy advisory group. The new VCAT
members—who will serve three-year terms starting on April 1—bring the
body’s number to 13.
The new committee members include:
- Michael McRobbie, president of Indiana
University. IU’s eight-campus system has a total budget of around $2.9
billion, and more than 5,000 faculty, 11,000 staff and 100,000 students.
With broad experience in fostering research partnerships, McRobbie has
particular expertise in information technology, as an active researcher
in computer science and logic, a co-creator of the IU School of
Informatics, and the initiator of IU’s Information Technology Strategic
Plan, which is considered a model for institutions across the nation. - Shaygan Kheradpir, executive vice president
and chief information officer for Verizon Communications. Kheradpir is
responsible for the information technology initiatives of all business
units at Verizon Communications, a global company with annual revenues
of more than $107 billion. An electrical engineer holding several U.S.
patents, Kheradpir leads technology development and innovation for key
Verizon initiatives, including having developed and implemented the
systems and products for Verizon’s all-fiber network, known as FiOS. - Sujeet Chand, senior vice president and chief
technology officer of Rockwell Automation. Chand is responsible for the
development of technology strategy and the evolution of next-generation
architecture and platforms for the company while leading R&D,
standards and trade activities with a globally distributed team. Named
Rockwell Engineer of the Year in 1993, Chand has led numerous
innovations in industrial automation technology and applications, and
holds nine patents.
The VCAT was established by Congress in 1988 to
review and make recommendations on NIST’s policies, organization,
budget and programs. The VCAT chair is Vinton Cerf, vice president and
chief Internet evangelist for Google. VCAT’s vice chair is Alan Taub,
vice president for global research and development at General Motors.
For more information, please see the NIST VCAT
Web site (www.nist.gov/director/vcat/).
