Bob Jacobs

Headquarters, Washington April 29, 2002

(Phone: 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 02-76

NASA ADMINISTRATOR NAMES SENIOR IT ADVISOR

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe today named Paul A.

Strassmann as Special Assistant to the Administrator for
Information Management, effective immediately. Strassmann,
who has been honored worldwide for his pioneering work in
Information Technology (IT) development, will serve as a
senior advisor to the NASA Administrator on information
management and technology structure issues.

"Paul's work has attracted worldwide attention and acclaim,"

said Administrator O'Keefe. "His experience in advancing
next-generation technologies and information management
concepts will be vital as the agency explores a comprehensive
IT strategy."

In his new position, Strassmann will conduct an analysis of

current information management operations and will support
the development and implementation of an agency-wide vision
for IT. He will also work in close cooperation with the
Special Assistant to the Administrator for Financial
Management to optimize the efficiency and operation of the
Integrated Financial Management Program, known as IFMP.

Strassmann is president of The Information Economic Press,

and his monthly articles have appeared in Computerworld
magazine since 1994. He has served as Chief Corporate
Information Systems executive from 1961 to 1985 for General
Foods, Kraft and the Xerox Corp.

Strassmann served as senior advisor to the Science

Applications International Corporation; he is Associate of
the Butley Group, a United Kingdom consultancy; and he is on
the Board of Visitors at the School of Information Studies at
Syracuse University.

After serving as an advisor to the Deputy Secretary of

Defense, he was appointed in 1991 to a newly created position
of Director of Defense Information, where he was responsible
for organizing and managing the corporate information
management program across the Defense Department. In 1993, He
received the Defense Department's highest civilian award, the
Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

"Paul has been a key contributor in shaping business and

information technology systems for both private industry and
government," added Administrator O'Keefe. "I look forward to
his innovative contributions as we move to update and upgrade
NASA's IT infrastructure."

Strassmann has authored more than 200 articles on information

management and has written several books on how to invest in
information technologies, including "The Information Payoff,"
"The Business Value of Computers," "The Politics of
Information Management," "The Squandered Computer" and "The
Information Productivity of U.S. Corporations."

His involvement with computers dates back to 1954 when he

designed a method of scheduling toll collection personnel on
the basis of punch card toll receipts. He earned an
engineering degree from the Cooper Union in New York and a
master's degree in industrial management from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Additional information about Strassmann is available on the

Internet at:

http://www.strassmann.com/

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