Scott Bernard, an associate professor of practice in the School of Information Studies, has been named the federal chief enterprise architect in the Executive Office of the President.

Bernard had been serving as acting chief architect since July 2010 and said he was greatly honored when he learned the news of the permanent position.

‘I started a temporary assignment in July, and it became permanent at the beginning of February,’ he said. ‘The job of federal chief enterprise architect is mainly oriented around helping agencies improve performance, looking at the design of how they do things and how they employ technologies.’

From April 2006 to July 2010, Bernard worked in the Department of Transportation as the deputy chief information officer and the chief architect of the Federal Railroad Administration, he said. He holds a master’s degree in information management from SU and has more than 20 years of experience in information technology management, according to a Feb. 11 SU News Services release.

Bernard has been part of the iSchool faculty since 1998, according to the news release. He has directed the executive education programs at the iSchool, helped manage the federal Scholarship for Service program at SU and was the first director of the iSchool’s doctorate of professional studies in information management, according to the release.

Beyond SU, Bernard has also started an enterprise architecture practice for an IT management firm and published a textbook in 2004 on enterprise architecture that is now used globally, according to the release.

Bernard will work on President Barack Obama’s administration initiatives relating to increasing transparency, accountability and participation, including work on the new IT Reform Agenda, according to the release.

The position is within the Office of Management Budget’s Office of E-Government and Information Technology. It is not a political position, Bernard said, but a career in senior executive service.

Bernard said he plans to continue teaching iSchool courses online as time allows because it helps offer new insights.

Elizabeth Liddy, dean of the iSchool, said in the news release that she is glad Bernard will maintain his relationship with the iSchool because his teachings are appreciated by students.

Those at the iSchool were not surprised by the appointment, Liddy said in the news release, because Bernard has already served in multiple government roles over the years.

Liddy could not be reached for comment by The Daily Orange.

Bernard teaches at the graduate level and said he enjoys teaching graduate students, some who are fresh from their undergraduate studies and some who are further along in their careers.

‘There’s a real mix of experience and opinions and background,’ Bernard said. ‘To me that’s important because it helps me be aware of various approaches to solving government problems. It helps keep me in touch.’

medelane@syr.edu

Published on February 13, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Meghin: medelane@syr.edu | @meghinwithani