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ATTORNEY GENERAL APPOINTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney General Janet Reno today named Donald Prosnitz as Chief Science and Technology Advisor for the Justice Department.

Prosnitz will be responsible for advising the Attorney General and other senior Department officials on a variety of technological research, development, procurement, policy and legislative issues.

Prosnitz will also coordinate technology policy among the Department's component agencies, and with state and local law enforcement entities, on science and technology projects and programs. He will also serve as a Department liaison to the scientific community. "This newly-created position enables us to consolidate the responsibility for technology policy in one position," said Reno. "It also achieves our goal of having a single point of contact for Department-wide perspectives and advice on law enforcement technology issues."

"Dr. Prosnitz's wealth of education, experience and management in the scientific community make him the right person for the job. He is well-suited to coordinate the Justice Department's efforts on complex and novel technological issues such as investigating computer crimes and threats to our critical infrastructure, the use of DNA evidence, and forensic analysis issues," Reno added.

Prosnitz will be on a two-year detail to the Justice Department from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he was the Chief Scientist for the Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and International Security Directorate. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Yale University with a degree in Engineering and Applied Science in 1970. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1975.

Prosnitz will reside in Crystal City, Virginia, with his wife Fern during his tenure at the Department.

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