Scott Bernard, Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool) assistant professor of practice, has been named the acting federal chief architect in the Executive Office of the President of the United States, serving with the Office of Management and Budget’s E-Government and Information Technology group. Bernard will be on leave from the iSchool while in this White House position. He will be responsible for working with federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) Vivek Kundra to promote and monitor enterprise architecture planning efforts in federal agencies.
Most recently, Bernard directed the executive education programs at the iSchool and was instrumental in helping to establish a new interdisciplinary certificate of advanced study in eGovernment management and leadership with the Maxwell School. In 2008, he co-founded the University’s Center for Information and Systems Assurance and Trust (CISAT) with professor of electrical engineering and computer science Shiu-Kai Chin of SU’s L.C. Smith School of Engineering and Computer Science. He also served as the first director of the iSchool’s doctorate of professional studies in information management and helped manage the federal Scholarship for Service program at SU. Bernard has been on the iSchool faculty since 1998.
“We’re very proud, but not surprised, that Scott has been selected to serve in this high-level position within the U.S. government,” says iSchool Dean Elizabeth D. Liddy. “Scott has been a very engaged faculty member while holding down CIO-level government positions and has greatly strengthened the school’s ties to the federal government. We’re also proud to have him as one of our active alumni who has supported the school through his time, talent and treasure. We wish him every success in this important and challenging new role. We are confident that he will again excel.”
“It is an honor to be selected to serve on an acting basis as the federal government’s leading enterprise architect, while the permanent selection is being made over the next several months,” Bernard says. “I look forward to participating in federal-wide initiatives during this time and getting an up-close view of the current administration in action.”
Bernard has more than 20 years of experience in information technology (IT) management within the federal, military, academic and private sectors. He has held positions as an agency-level chief enterprise architect, deputy chief information officer, network operations manager, IT security manager, IT project manager and IT management consultant. He has contributed to federal architecture practices and initiatives since 2001, serving from 2007-10 as a co-lead for the development of version 3.0 of the Federal Enterprise Architecture’s Security and Privacy Profile.
In 2001, Bernard participated in the development of “A Practical Guide to Federal Enterprise Architecture.” In 2004, he published a textbook on enterprise architecture that is now in use globally. Bernard founded the Journal of Enterprise Architecture in 2005 and served as chief editor for five years. He started an enterprise architecture consulting practice for a large IT management firm and has given presentations on enterprise architecture theory and practice at conferences world wide. He has been a senior lecturer on enterprise architecture and IT security architecture with Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science, Institute for Software Research, since 2005.
Bernard holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in business and personnel management from Central Michigan University, a master’s degree in information management from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. in public administration and policy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College and received a chief information officer certificate and an advanced program management certificate from the National Defense University. Bernard is also a former career naval aviator (IT subspecialty) who served on aircraft carriers and with shore squadrons and staffs, led IT programs, and served as the director of network operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon.
