US' first CIO Vivek Kundra leaving for Harvard
updated 05:45 pm EDT, Thu June 16, 2011
Leaves post after 2 and one-half years
Vivek Kundra, the nation's first federal CIO, is resigning. Kundra will be leaving public service to join Harvard University's Kennedy School and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society as a fellow. He will depart his government post in August.
President Obama appointed Kundra two and one half years ago to be the nation's first federal chief information officer. His charter was to make sure the government was running in the most secure, open, and efficient way possible.
Since assuming the post, Kundra has been credited with saving $3 billion in taxpayer dollars, moving the government to the cloud, strengthening the nation's cybersecurity, and making the government more open, transparent, and participatory.
While at Harvard, Kundra will investigate cloud computing, open data and open government. His research will, according Harvard, focus on the "implications of digital media and technology on governance." [via Federal News Radio]
