SSTI Digest

Richard C. Atkinson, the president of the University of California system since 1995, will receive the prestigious 2003 Vannevar Bush Award from the National Science Foundation for lifetime contributions to the nation in science and technology.

Mitch Daniels, the director of the White House Office of Management & Budget, has announced his resignation.

Sylvia Goodman is leaving her position as director of technology and innovation at Louisiana Economic Development.

Marc Holtzman, Colorado's former science and technology advisor, is taking the position as president of Denver University.

The Board of Directors for Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced last week their selection of Peter Jobse as the new president of CIT. Jobse has been CIT’s executive vice president and chief operating officer since joining the organization in October 2002.

Ed Linsenmeyer, with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, has been elected to serve as the Chair of the Federal Laboratories Consortium for Technology Transfer at the FLC's recent annual meeting. Larry Dickens, with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was elected Vice Chair.

Bill Madia is leaving his position as director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to oversee all Department of Energy business for Battelle Memorial Institute.

Larry Moolenaar is the new Executive Director of the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments.

Noreen Scott, former economic development division director for the New Mexico Department of Economic Development, is the executive director for the Rio Rancho Economic Development Corp.

The Greenville Spartanburg Anderson Technology Council has named Philip Yanov executive director.

Research released this week by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) suggests that, failing a dramatic turnaround in the national economy, a recovery in the IT sector in 2003 will most likely continue to be a “jobless” one.

A telephone survey of 400 hiring managers from IT and non-IT companies nationwide found that predicted demand for hiring IT workers has reached an historic low of only 493,000 positions over the next 12 months — down from 1.6 million at the start of 2000 and less than one-half of the predicted 1.1 million positions needed at the start of 2002. Sixty-seven percent of those interviewed said they thought hiring demand would stay the same or decline over the next 12 months.

In the final week of its 2003 Legislative Session, the North Dakota State Legislature passed sweeping legislation that favors tech-based economic development in the state. The Greater North Dakota Association (GNDA), serving as the state's Chamber of Commerce, subsequently issued a summary of those bills targeted toward job growth. Some highlights of GNDA's summary are presented below: