Dr. Cheryl Shavers,
Former U.S. Undersecretary for Commerce and Technology,
Joins Anita Borg Institute Board of Trustees
Palo Alto, California, October 11, 2005 - The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) today announced that Dr. Cheryl Shavers, former U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology and CEO of Global Smarts, has joined the ABI Board of Trustees. The Board provides broad policy leadership for the organization. Their role is critical to the continuing advancement of the Anita Borg Institute’s mission to increase the impact of women on all aspects of technology and to increase the positive impact of technology on the lives of the world’s women.
Shavers was the first female African-American U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology and was the highest-ranking technologist in the Clinton Administration. She reinforced America’s science and technology investments, advocated global business alliances and promoted emerging technology initiatives. A 25-year veteran of the high-tech industry with Fortune 500 companies such as Intel, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola, her insights and skills have bridged the gaps between public and private enterprises, national and global competition, and conventional and emerging technologies.
Dr. Telle Whitney, president and CEO of ABI commented, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Shavers to our Board of Trustees. Her vision, experience and influence will help immeasurably in advancing ABI’s goals to bring women squarely into the mainstream of technological work and innovation, and that augers well for our nation and our world.”
“I view the work of The Anita Borg Institute as a fundamental component in our urgent efforts to strengthen the U.S. position in an increasingly competitive global market,” Dr. Shavers said. “Strong, capable women in technology have enormous contributions to make. I am eager to work alongside ABI’s powerful Board members to advance their cause.”
Dr. Shavers is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a Distinguished Dean’s Professor at the Leavy School of Business at Santa Clara University, and a Director of Strategic Investments and Relationships at Media Tech Capital Partners, a private merchant bank. A practicing registered Patent Agent with the Patent & Trademark Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce, she also serves on the board of directors of Rockwell Collins, a leading communications and avionics company.
She is the founder and CEO of Global Smarts, Inc. a global business and technology strategy firm and author of Global Technology Challenges for the New Millennium. Dr. Shavers is also the former host of Technology’s Edge and Dr. Shavers On Radio, radio talk programs broadcast on Business Radio AM570 WWRC in Washington D.C. In 1999 and 2005 Dr. Shavers received Congressional Recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives for her work in the community and for her business leadership. Dr. Shavers holds a B.S. in chemistry and a Ph.D. in solid-state chemistry from Arizona State University.
Dr. Shavers is joined on the Anita Borg Institute Board by existing members: Maria Klawe Ph.D, Dean of Engineering, Princeton University - Margaret Ashida, Director, University Talent Programs IBM - James Beck, CFO, Mayfield - Linda Bernardi, CEO and President, Connecterra, Inc. - Alan Eustace, Ph.D, VP Engineering, Google - Penny Herscher, President and CEO, firstRain - Wayne Johnson, VP University Relations, Hewlett-Packard - Richard Newton Ph.D, Dean of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley - Greg Papadopoulos Ph.D, Executive VP and CTO, Sun Microsystems - Rick Rashid Ph.D, Senior VP and VP Research, Microsoft - Carol Realini, Entrepreneur and Investor - Jayshree Ullal, Senior VP and GM, Security Technology Group, Cisco Systems Inc. - Bill Unger, Partner Emeritus, Mayfield Fund - Telle Whitney Ph.D , President, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology and William Wulf Ph.D, President, National Academy of Engineering.