A Transition
The Computing Research Association (CRA) is one of the most important advocacy organizations for computing research. It promotes the cause of computing research to policymakers and other organizations interested in science policy, innovation policy, computing research, and STEM education. Nearly every research computing department and lab in the nation (plus some in Canada and Mexico) is a CRA member. CRA runs the annual CRA Taulbee Survey, the CRA Government Affairs Committee (GAC), the Computing Community Consortium (CCC), CRA-W, the CRA Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award, the Snowbird Conference, and many other great initiatives and committees.
For the past few years, the CRA Board of Directors has been ably chaired by Dan Reed (Microsoft Research). During his tenure as chair, the CRA expanded its membership, launched the CCC and CRA-E, and helped foster the GAC as the “go-to” computing advocacy group in Washington. CRA’s most recent interactions in DC have been particularly important, given the new Administration’s renewed commitment to science.
I’ll be succeeding Dan as Board Chair starting in July 2009. I feel it’s a great honor to do this, though it will be a challenge to follow in Dan’s footsteps. Now is an incredibly important (and busy!) time for science and technology research, and thus an incredibly important time for the CRA. I’m hoping that the CRA can provide the right support so that the computing research community is able to do its part to help the nation in this time of great need — and opportunity.
Peter Lee @ March 11, 2009
I should clarify one thing: Being the CRA Board Chair is an on-the-side activity (at most a day per week), and also a volunteer activity. I’m proud to do this, but I’m keeping my “day job” here at CMU!