As the election draws near, many executive branch positions may get filled as bosses exercise their authority to the end before a possible power shift in Washington. Jon Peha, professor in the Departments of Engineering and Public Policy and of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University has been named chief technologist of the FCC—a position that has been vacant for three years. Peha will serve as a senior advisor on communications technology in the FCC's Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis.
Peha also serves as the associate director of the Center for Wireless and Broadband Networking at CMU. Previously, he worked as chief technical officer of three high-tech start-ups and as a member of the technical staff at SRI International, AT&T Bell Laboratories and Microsoft.
Dr. Peha's research interests include technical and policy issues related to computer and telecommunications networks, including the potential for a nationwide interoperable public safety network. He is the co-author of "Science Technology Advice for Congress." He has also authored articles in several journals including IEEE Personal Communications, Telecommunications Policy, the International Journal of Communication, and Wireless Technology.
He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University and his undergraduate degree from Brown University. He is a Congressional Fellow of the IEEE and a Diplomacy Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
