On September 22, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his appointments for the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and five of the members hail from IEEE and the Computer Society. The council finds its roots with President Eisenhower’s scientific advisory committee, which he established in 1957 to rocket America to the lead in the space race.
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The president’s decision to pull from the talent pool of IEEE and the Computer Society makes sense, particularly because the Computer Society espouses both excellence in computer science and engineering and diversity. President Biden had announced his intentions to build an Administration that “truly looks like America,” and his selections from IEEE and the Computer Society deliver on that promise.
The IEEE Computer Society: A Logical Source of Thought Leadership
The IEEE Computer Society’s origin story began in 1946 when the Subcommittee on Large-Scale Computing Devices (LCD) of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) was formed. As the years passed, the organization merged, grew, and evolved into what it is today: the world’s leading computer science and technology member organization.
As an innovation technology thought leader, the value of IEEE Computer Society Membership is significant. It plays an important role in the growth and dissemination of computing solutions, making it a logical source for recruiting the caliber of talent the PCAST needs. The Society sponsors over 200 conferences, opportunities for online education, a solutions center, and a digital library housing 800,000+ articles, journals, and peer-reviewed magazines.
“Most Accomplished Americans”
One of the co-chairs of PCAST, Dr. Frances Arnold, remarked, “We are thrilled that some of our most accomplished Americans are willing to step up and serve the nation by being members of PCAST.” Dr. Arnold explained that “their vast expertise will help the nation build back better through science and technology.”
The Newest PCAST Members Representing IEEE and the Computer Society
The appointees from the IEEE community include Dr. Andrea Goldsmith, Dr. Eric Horvitz, Dr. Lisa T. Su, Phil Venables, and Dr. William Dally.
William Dally, Ph.D.
Dr. William Dally is a computer scientist and the inventor of hardware architectures that power parallel computing, modern supercomputers, and artificial intelligence as we know it today. Dr. Dally holds 120 patents and has written over 250 papers, along with four textbooks about his areas of expertise. He is also the current Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President for Research at NVIDIA. He is a member of IEEE and the Computer Society.
Andrea Goldsmith, Ph.D.
Dr. Andrea Goldsmith is the Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Arthur LeGrand Doty Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Princeton University. She was also the first woman to be awarded the Marconi Prize, the highest honor in telecommunications research. She is a member of IEEE.
Eric Horvitz, Ph.D., MD
A leading computer scientist and artificial intelligence researcher, Dr. Eric Horvitz, has also played an integral role in the technological advancement of several other areas. Some of these include biomedicine, transportation, aerospace, and computing systems and services. He won the Feigenbaum Prize and the Allen Newell Award for advances in AI. Dr. Horvitz holds the position of Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft. He is a member of IEEE.
Lisa T. Su, Ph.D.
Dr. Lisa T. Su is an electrical engineer and an expert in semiconductor devices and high-performance processors. She was the first woman to receive the IEEE’s Robert N. Noyce Medal and was named by Fortune Magazine as the #2 “Business Person of the Year” for 2020. She is a member of IEEE.
Phil Venables, M.Sc.
Phil Venables is a software engineer, computer scientist, and security expert. He is also Chief Information Security Officer at Google Cloud, a member of the NIST Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board, a Distinguished Expert for the National Security Agency’s Science of Security program, co-founder of the Center for Internet Security, and previously was a Partner, Chief Information Security Officer, and Chief Operational Risk Officer at Goldman Sachs. He is a member of IEEE.
These members of IEEE will continue to champion the importance of technological solutions and working for a higher, safer quality of life for all people. To learn how you can work alongside the world’s preeminent technological leaders, connect with the IEEE Computer Society today.
