Peter Lee, current head of DARPA’s innovative Transformational Convergence Technology Office (TCTO), will leave the agency in September to run Microsoft Research’s Redmond Lab. Before joining DARPA, Lee was Chair of the computer science department at Carnegie Mellon University, as well as Chair of CRA (and head of CRA’s Government Affairs Committee). In a press release announcing the move, Lee had this to say about this new opportunity:

“Microsoft Research is an incredible place. The researchers are truly world-class and doing work that is expanding the frontiers of knowledge,” Lee said. “And, while Microsoft Research’s revolutionary advances affect just about every desktop, enterprise and mobile system in the world, what I find most exciting is Microsoft Research’s ability to influence and inspire countless numbers of researchers, students and technology leaders. This unique combination of world-class research, impact on billions of systems and influential thought leadership is simply exhilarating. I can hardly wait to get started.”

Lee did a fantastic job as Chair of CRA, Chair of my Government Affairs Committee, and PI of the Computing Innovations Fellowship program through CCC. We have no doubt he’ll excel at Microsoft just as he has everywhere else he’s been.

It’s not known whether Lee, an avid Pittsburgh Penguin fan, will alter his hockey allegiance with his change in residency to the Pacific Northwest, but we’ll keep you updated.

Here’s Wired’s coverage of the news.