Under the direction of Professor Gary Downey, Mr. Juan Rogers is examining the implementation process of the National Information Infrastructure (NII) from the early 1980's to the HPCC Act of 1991. Initially proposed as a support infrastructure for science, the NII became the foundation for a society-wide system. The articulation of key positions in the deliberations incorporated background accounts about the nature and role of science, its contribution to economic and military supremacy, the role of technology in changing social relations and the economy, and the emerging situation after the cultural and economic vicissitudes of the 1960's and 1970's among others. A significant consequence of this construction was a connection between science and the market in which the former served as a vehicle for creating a free market of information while protecting the supercomputer industry. This study aims to account for this process by identifying the participants, their interests and perspectives and show how they shaped the resulting framework through their interaction. First, Mr. Rogers is analyzing the US Congress records of hearings, agency reports, and legislative action on the subject. Second, he is singling out key individuals and institutions for further study by means of interviews and the search for additional documentation. The final product will be offer an account of the dynamics of the process that lasted roughly a decade.
