ACADEMIA

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- SGI today announced the creation of a new position, director of homeland security initiatives, and announced the appointment of Lang Craighill to fill this new post and to spearhead the company's efforts in the burgeoning area of homeland security. "The government acquisition strategy for homeland security will develop rapidly, and our technology can play a very significant role in solving the many challenges associated with homeland security," said Anthony Robbins, senior vice president, SGI, and president, SGI Federal. "I believe that Lang's knowledge of our company's many strengths and successes in the Department of Defense, civilian, and intelligence communities will be key in driving forward our efforts in this area." Working with government and industry partners, SGI offers a unique set of technologies and capabilities suited to support an innovative class of homeland security solutions in the areas of chemical and biological terrorism, the protection of critical infrastructure, transportation security and efficiency, border security, disaster planning and recovery, and law enforcement. In explaining the reason for establishing the new homeland security position, Robbins said, "With the establishment of the new Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. federal government is undergoing a massive restructuring -- the most significant since the creation of the Department of Defense over half a century ago. SGI has developed a variety of visualization and computing technologies ideally suited to allow government decision makers to rapidly assimilate the growing and diverse amounts of data being collected for homeland security. This technology is the key to reducing this data to models and concepts that are more easily understood and manipulated, speeding time to insight with more efficient access to critical information that enables a faster decision-making process." Prior to being named to the new homeland security position, Craighill served as director of advanced programs for SGI Federal, a wholly owned subsidiary of SGI, starting in August 2000. He has some 20 years experience in technology sales to the federal government in support of Department of Defense (DoD), special programs and civilian agency requirements. Craighill joined Silicon Graphics in March 1995 and served as sales manager for DoD business. Prior to joining SGI, Lang worked for Apple Computer for seven years in various sales and sales management roles including national account manager for the U.S. Navy and U.S. federal sales manager. Lang received his B.A. degree in economics from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., and his MBA from the Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia. Lang was born in Richmond, Va., and currently lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and two children.