National Science Foundation picks new CIO as part of CHIPS Act IT reorganization
The National Science Foundation on Wednesday announced a major reorganization of its IT functions, including the appointments of a new chief information officer, chief technology officer, chief data officer and assistant CIO for artificial intelligence in support of the 2022 CHIPS Act.
Terry Carpenter will take over the key role of CIO and CTO for the NSF, marking the establishment of a new independent and consolidated Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).
Dorothy Aronson is NSF’s new chief data officer and assistant CIO for artificial intelligence, while Dan Hofherr is the new chief information security officer and assistant CIO for operations, and Teresa Guillot is assistant CIO for enterprise services.
“I am confident that the reorganization of our IT functions will propel NSF to new heights of innovation and efficiency,” NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said in a statement. “This strategic initiative reflects our solid commitment to delivering unparalleled IT services and solutions across the agency.”
The IT revitalization within NSF is meant to support the mission of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which provides roughly $52.7 billion to explicitly drive semiconductor research, development, manufacturing, and workforce development in the U.S.
Of that total, $39 billion is included for manufacturing incentives and $13.2 billion is for R&D and workforce development, according to the White House.
The establishment of the new OCIO office signifies NSF’s aim to adapt to evolving industry best practices and cutting-edge technologies using new tools, resources and expertise.
It also supports NSF’s push to further President Joe Biden’s priorities for federal agencies to use AI responsibly and protect information through cybersecurity practices.
