Our colleague Ed Felten, Professor of Computer Science and Public Affairs and the founding Director of the Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP) at Princeton University, yesterday was named the first Chief Technologist of the Federal Trade Commission. He starts this full-time gig January 1, 2011.

Ed, who has been advising the FTC as a part-time consultant, will add “unparalleled expertise on high-technology markets and computer security,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement announcing his hiring. “And he also will provide invaluable input into the recommendations we’ll be making soon for online privacy, as well as the enforcement actions we’ll soon bring to protect consumer privacy.”

For more information, see Princeton’s announcement or The Washington Post‘s Post Tech Blog.

Congratulations to Ed!

(Contributed by Erwin Gianchandani, CCC Director)