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Cita Furlani has been named chief information officer (CIO) for the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by NIST Director Arden Bement Jr. She has been serving on an acting basis in this position since November 2002.
As CIO, Furlani is the principal adviser to the NIST Director on the planning, execution, evaluation and delivery of information technology (IT) services and support. She is responsible for planning, directing and implementing the utilization of IT resources, supporting infrastructure, IT security and assistance to NIST staff, collaborators and clients in the conduct of NIST's scientific, engineering and administrative programs.
Prior to being named acting CIO, Furlani served on detail from NIST as director of the National Coordination Office for Information Technology Research and Development. This office, reporting to the White House through the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science and Technology Council, coordinates the planning, budget and assessment activities for the 12-agency Networking and Information Technology R&D Program.
Previously, Furlani was director of the Information Technology and Electronics Office within NIST's Advanced Technology Program (ATP). Before joining ATP, Furlani served as chief of the Office of Enterprise Integration within NIST's Information Technology Laboratory, coordinating Department of Commerce activities in the area of enterprise integration.
Furlani also has served as special assistant to former NIST Director Arati Prabhakar when Prabhakar was chair of the Committee on Applications and Technology for the Administration's Information Infrastructure Task Force; as senior program analyst in NIST's Program Office; and as manager of R&D programs within the NIST Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory.
Furlani's educational background includes a Master of Science degree in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics and mathematics from Texas Christian University.
As a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Technology Administration, NIST develops and promotes measurement, standards and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade and improve the quality of life.