As deputy director for policy and innovation for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during the Obama administration, Tom Kalil advised the president and his senior advisors on initiatives in areas such as data science, open data, expanding access to scientific publications, K-12 computer science education, and identifying and pursuing twenty-first century "moonshots."
Kalil will share his expertise in technology and innovation policy at the iSchool's Center for Informatics Research in Science and Scholarship (CIRSS) seminar on Friday, February 10, from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in Room 126. In his informal talk, "Science and Technology Policy in the Obama White House: The Role of Policy Entrepreneurs," Kalil will discuss how policy ideas originate and the role "policy entrepreneurs" play in recognizing, designing, launching, and sustaining policy initiatives. Following the talk, he will answer questions from the audience. All are welcome to attend.
Kalil joined the Obama administration in 2009, after serving as chair of the Global Health Working Group for the Clinton Global Initiative. During the Clinton administration, Kalil was the deputy assistant for technology and economic policy and deputy director of the White House National Economic Council. From 2001-2008, he was the special assistant to the chancellor for science and technology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he developed research initiatives at the interfaces of information technology, nanotechnology, and biology.