Name:
Charles Brownstein
Title:
Executive Director, Cross-Industry Working Team
Company:
Corporation for National Research Initiatives
http://www.cnri.reston.va.us for additional info.
How I arrived at my present job (academic and other influences): A PH.D. in Political Science with more statistics and communications than politics led to participation in a Tony Oettinger workshop at Harvard en route to a teaching position at Lehigh Univ. There, I fell in with EE/CS types, received grants from NSF involving computing applications for teaching, telecommunications policy, and applications of two-way CATV, and into contact with computing and communications researchers. Invited to NSF for 1 year to run an experimental IT applications program, I had so much fun I stayed for 20, moving to increasingly interesting positions, managing CISE, advancing NSFnet, HPCC, other federal IT developments. With the action shifting to industry, I accepted Bob Kahn's invitation to direct the Cross-Industry Working Team.
How I (ideally) organize my day: How I (ideally) organize my day: 5am exercise (for back and mind)/avoid traffic; "quality" time with general news, journals, industry news; create/discard to-dos and "bright ideas"; deal with messages/communications; lunch w colleague(s) (reality check); work on papers, proposals, communications; home by 6pm for max time with family; read/recreate as opportunity occurs.
Amount of time spent working daily (at home and office): 7-10 hours.
What I do to get myself thinking creatively: Speculate on what (something) might be or mean in the future, work back to how to create or understand it.
My problem-solving strategy: Outline the whole, fill in the details.
What I do to relieve stress: Enjoy my son, exercise, contemplate possibilities, discard (physical and mental) flotsam, drive and pretend to tinker with old sports car.
My hero, mentor, or person I most admire and why: Have had too many to embarrass here! All brilliant in some dimension, generous with willingness to contribute to society, create and impart knowledge, and convert ignorance (especially mine) to understanding .
What I do to mentor those who work for me: Try to give responsibility and learn together.
How a negative event changed my life in a positive way: A parent's health and resulting economic circumstances taught me how to earn, to contribute, and to appreciate everything.
One event or decision in my life I wish I could go back and change: One is too few and too many to list.
What values are the most important to me and what I value in others: Intellectual honesty. Contributing to society. Trustworthiness. Appreciating Humor. Humility.
What inspires, motivates, or gets me excited about my job on a daily basis: The pleasure of earning a living by thinking; the occasional possibility of making a positive contribution; the endless innovation in information technology and what it might be used for, and the endlessly amazing people I get to work with and to meet.
Biography: Since 1994: Director, Cross-Industry Working Team (XIWT), an organization for strategic thinking and interaction for technology and business strategists from all segments of the IT industry. Most recent ex-chair, USACM Public Policy Committee.
1976-1994: National Science Foundation (NSF), served as Deputy Assistant Director and Assistant Director of NSF for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) from 1986 to 1992. He enjoyed participating in the creation and development of CISE, the inter-agency High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) initiative, the NSFNET and other federal information infrastructure and applications projects.
Also at NSF, directed Division of Information Science and Technology from 1983 to 1986, worked with community to build programs in information retrieval, intelligent systems, and the economics and social aspects of information. As Program Officer for Information Technology and Telecommunications Policy from 1975 to 1983, directed research programs on applications of information technology for education, medicine, and community information exchange, telecommunications economics, and social impacts of information technologies.
At NSF, chaired too many interagency and NSF working groups and represented the US in the OECD on matters of information technology and policy. Chaired the interagency Federal Networking Council (FNC), was founding Trustee of the Internet Society (ISOC) and served on the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine.
Other highlights of federal employment: 1) serving as the Executive Secretary of the special commission of the National Science Board on the Future of NSF, (and working with Bob Galvin) and; 2) organizing and co-chairing the interagency Working Group for Reinventing Government Through Information Technology, for Al Gore's National Performance Review- and seeing the recommendations become national strategy and policy.
From 1971-1975 Dr. Brownstein was Professor of Government at Lehigh University, where he began his education in computing, and was Principle Investigator on five NSF and industry supported research awards on telecommunications policy, information industry innovation, two-way cable field experimentation, and interactive learning technologies.
His Federal service is recognized by Meritorious and Distinguished Presidential Senior Executive Service Rank awards, and by NSF's Distinguished Service Award.
Last Modified:
Location: www.acm.org/crossroads/dayinlife/bios/charles_brownstein.html