OTI WELCOMES COLIN RHINESMITH AS GOOGLE POLICY FELLOW.

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by the New America Foundation:

The New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative is pleased to welcome Colin Rhinesmith as a Google Policy Fellow.

Rhinesmith is a Doctoral Student and Information in Society Fellow at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research investigates the use of public computers and broadband technology to foster digital and media literacy and civic engagement in geographic communities. Previously, Rhinesmith was the Community Media and Technology Manager for Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) and worked for the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. This summer, he will continue researching issues related to the digital divide.

"Colin's depth of experience working with community media and his innovative analyses of digital literacy and civic engagement made him an exceptional candidate for this fellowship," explained Sascha Meinrath, director of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative. "We look forward to hosting Colin this summer and utilizing his expertise as we develop our work in this area."

"It's a tremendous honor for me to be selected to work with the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative this summer as a Google Policy Fellow," Rhinesmith said. "I look forward to supporting OTI's important work helping to address the opportunities and challenges facing open technologies and communication networks in the digital age."

About the Open Technology Initiative

The New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative formulates policy and regulatory reforms to support open architectures and open source innovations and facilitates the development and implementation of open technologies and communications networks. For more information, visit, http://oti.newamerica.net/.