The US Department of Commerce has appointed Cheryl L. Shavers as undersecretary of commerce for technology. As head of the department's technology administration, she will oversee the Office of Technology Policy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Technical Information Service and the Office of Space Commercialization. She will serve as senior adviser to Secretary of Commerce William Daley in creating public policy for science and technology. Shavers has an extensive professional background in semiconductor materials technology, equipment and device manufacturing, and technical and intellectual property law. She holds a BS degree in chemistry and a PhD in solid-state chemistry from Arizona State University, and is a practicing registered patent agent.