Where does the director of DARPA – the defense agency known for such innovations as the Internet – go next when they’re ready to take their career to the next level? Google, it turns out.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Director Regina Goodwin, who has been tied to the agency since 1996 and been at the helm for three years, announced this week her plans to join Google as a “senior executive.” While her exact position is unclear, guesses are it will have something to do with cybersecurity.
While Goodwin pushed the kind of innovative projects DARPA is known for, from four-legged robots to the recent Shredder Challenge, which asked for the public’s help in decoding shredded pieces of paper, she also increased focus on cybersecurity. She also paved the way for the Pentagon’s outreach to hackers and other non-traditional R&D communities.
The move is a good one for Google, both as it looks to increase work with the government in cloud technology and other arenas, and with cybersecurity and privacy remaining a top concern. The news is perhaps not so good for DARPA, which now has to face the reality that it’s more enticing to work for an organization that prides itself on free lunch and office fun (as well as innovation), than it is to work for the Department of Defense’s premier research arm.
Lindy Kyzer is the editor of ClearanceJobs.com. She loves cybersecurity, social media, and the U.S. military. She loves Google and would be happy to entertain employment offers if any “senior editor” positions happen to be available. Have a conference, tip, or story idea to share? Email editor@clearancejobs.com.
