Posts By Ross Wilkers

William Noonan: Legislative Action Needed to Bolster Consumer Data Protection

William Noonan, the U.S. Secret Service’s head of cyber investigations, has urged Congress to require businesses to notify consumers and law enforcement agencies in the event of a data breach, FCW reported Wednesday. Adam Mazmanian writes that Noonan appeared at a House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit hearing Wednesday. “While thereRead… Read more »

Purdue Professors Among Presidential Science, Engineering Award Recipients

The White House has chosen two researchers from Purdue University as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, an award for early-career independent research on science and engineering. Jeffrey Karpicke of the College of Health and Human Sciences and Tamara Moore of the College of Engineering were selected for their workRead… Read more »

Healthcare.gov to Undergo Network Security Test

The Department of Health and Human Services will test the federal health insurance marketplace website for network security in a simulated cybersecurity attack, Nextgov reported Monday. Aliya Sternstein writes hospitals, insurers and the HHS will try to communicate and share data with the government during the simulation test. Kevin Charest, HHS chief information security officer,Read… Read more »

Hubble Telescope Zeroes in On Exoplanets for Atmospheric Study

NASA scientists have identified the atmospheres of two planets outside the solar system through the Hubble Space Telescope. The scientists found layers of clouds covering the planets GJ 436b, 36 light-years from Earth, and GJ 1214b, 40 light-years away, NASA said Tuesday. GJ 436b, in the constellation Leo, is described as a “warm Neptune” forRead… Read more »

Bryan Sivak Issues Call for Health IT Innovators

The Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with health information technology not-for-profit organization Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society to search for a candidate to help develop future advances in healthcare IT. HHS and HIMSS are looking for an Innovator In Residence that will work to create framework for patient data matching asRead… Read more »

Agriculture, Energy Departments Give Universities Bioenergy Grants

The departments of Energy and Agriculture have issued $8 million in grants to support research projects aimed at producing non-edible feedstock for bioenergy generation. USDA and DOE awarded the money to seven U.S. universities as part of a joint initiative designed to spur production of biofuels and other sustainable bioproducts, USDA said Thursday. “Innovative researchRead… Read more »

USDA, Navy to Discuss Future Biofuel Procurement

The departments of the Agriculture and Navy are set to announce new biofuel procurement opportunities at a summit scheduled for Sunday through Wednesday in San Diego. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus will make the announcement from Washington via teleconference, trade association and summit host BIO said Monday. Chris Tindal, director opfRead… Read more »

Space Station to Host Stem Cell Research Studies

NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space have opened the International Space Station to stem cell research in a move aimed at addressing medical conditions both in space and on Earth. Scientists can study non-embryonic stem cell properties using the ISS U.S. National Laboratory’s microgravity environment, NASA said Friday. NASA intendsRead… Read more »

College Students, NASA Send CubeSats to Space

Students from four colleges worked with NASA to launch four research satellites into space Friday as the agency aims to give the academic world experience in researching and developing flight hardware. Each CubeSats deployed from their protective cases three hours after the liftoff of a a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, NASA said Friday.Read… Read more »

Transportation Dept Throws Doors Open on Safety Data Sets

The Transportation Department has opened more than 2,000 data sets to the public as part of efforts to fulfill federal initiatives for open data. Richard McKinney, DOT chief information officer, said Monday that department’s latest move was intended to meet a Nov. 30 deadline for President Barack Obama’s executive order on releasing information to publicRead… Read more »