NASA names new chief technologist, acting CTO

The first few months of 2014 have seen a shuffle in the highest levels of NASA's information technology roster.

On March 13, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden named David W. Miller, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as NASA's new chief technologist.

Miller, who will serve as Bolden's principal advisor on agency-wide technology issues, policies and programs, is no stranger to the space agency. He has worked on several NASA programs, including his service as principal investigator for the Synchronized Position, Hold, Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) project in the International Space Station.

Miller will not have to relinquish his professorship at MIT, either. He will serve NASA through an intergovernmental personnel agreement with the university.

Miller succeeds Mason Peck, who returned to his position at Cornell University in early 2014 after two years as NASA's chief technologist.

"David's passion for discovery and innovation is a valuable asset as we move forward into exploring new frontiers," Bolden said in a statement. "He has challenged his students to create new ways to operate in space. I expect he will challenge us to do the same."

In another shift, NASA Deputy CIO Deborah Diaz is serving as acting chief technology officer, following the retirement of Sasi Pillay, a 2013 Federal 100 winner and a respected visionary in the Beltway IT community.