2005 NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Dave Tweten Remembered
Highly principled. Extremely intelligent. Deeply conscientious. Quick-witted and funny. These are just a few of the qualities ascribed to long-time Ames friend and co-worker David L. Tweten, who passed away unexpectedly on October 7. He was 57 years
old.
Dave's tall frame, wide grin, and blue eyes made him an unforgettable presence at Ames, especially at the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) facility, where he was one of the first civil service employees hired back in 1984. During his 21 years at NAS, Dave's accomplishments were many and varied. As chief computer security officer for the NAS Division, he logged many extra hours to ensure that the agency's foremost supercomputing center was protected against the constant barrage of hackers. When a rare security compromise did occur in May 2004, Dave guided the effort to keep critical NASA mission-related computational projects up and running while security patches were completed, for which he was recognized with a NASA Honor Award -- his second during his career at Ames. He was also honored with a NASA Space Act award and numerous other agency awards.
As a well-known expert in computer security and software development, Dave served on various industry standards committees and working groups. In October 2002, his work in promoting an inexpensive open-source wireless security solution for NASA earned him a cover story in Government Computer News.
Dave's expertise in computer security stemmed from his extensive system software design and development experience. This blend of skills made Dave the perfect choice to lead the writing team for two industry standards reports on software methodology for computer security. He also served on an IEEE Batch Systems Standards Committee and Storage Systems Standards Working Group, for which he earned a certificate of appreciation.
One of Dave's most lasting contributions at NAS is the Portable Batch System (PBS), which manages resources and scheduling for high-performance computers and clusters. Developed in the mid-1990s, PBS was a unique scheduling software package that operated on a wide range of computer platforms. The latest version of PBS is still used on all NAS Division computers, including the world-class Columbia supercomputer, and is now marketed commercially around the world. The original version of PBS developed by Dave and his team is now offered as open source software.
Dave also led a project to build a mass storage system, NAStore, which created a Unix-based system of unlimited capacity through a hierarchical storage approach. NAStore represented a major technological advance in mass storage systems, and
influenced commercial mass storage systems.
As a security official, Dave was never heavy-handed in carrying out the stringent regulations he enforced -- and he never exploited the inherent power in his security role. His strong belief in the U.S. Constitution and civil liberties was truly a
cornerstone of his life. When Ames stepped up its random vehicle inspections after the 9-ll terrorist attack, Dave chose to walk through the guard gates, rain or shine, upholding his belief in a citizen's right to privacy.
These strong beliefs were echoed in his active participation in the Ames Federal Employees Union (AFEU). Dave firmly believed in the union movement and the importance of its role at the center. Dave honorably served the union in many capacities over
the years, including AFEU Treasurer, Chair of the Constitution Committee, and Union Steward. He played a critical role in overseeing AFEU elections. Union associates recall that Dave was a wise and patient mentor, and unfailingly provided a calm
voice of reason in any discussion.
Prior to becoming a civil servant, Dave worked at Ames for Computer Sciences Corp. and then Control Data Corp., where he developed and maintained compilers for high-speed computers, including the Cyber 205 and the first Cray 2 system.
Respected and admired for his strong work ethic and important contributions at Ames, Dave was genuinely liked for the way he cared about others, for his dry sense of humor, and his gift for telling a great story. Among his many interests outside Ames
were wine-making, photography, astronomy, and cars -- he lovingly maintained his dad's classic baby-blue Oldsmobile, and even competed his Datsun 240Z in autocrosses and car rallies "back in the day."
For years Dave was a familiar face at nearby Mario's Pizza & Italian Restaurant, where he was like family. Here he held court weekly, regaling a regular group of friends with work stories, opinions about the politics of the day, and memories from his past.
Dave grew up in Redding, Calif., and received a bachelor's degree in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His early work experience included engineering work at a television station, which may have sparked a recent interest with some of his Mario's buddies in experimenting with high-definition television technologies.
Dave's parents, Emil and Myrtle Tweten, still reside in Redding, where Dave made frequent trips to visit. Emil says that he and his wife are very proud of their son. He recalls that Dave frequently said he would rather be in a place where there are
more trees than stop signs. To honor that wish, a private service was held in his hometown, and Dave rests in a spot where there are lots of tree surrounded by mountains. The family has suggested that donations in Dave's name be made to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Habitat for Humanity. A memorial service and tree-planting will take place at Ames on December 6, 2005.
- Jill Dunbar
For more information on making donations to honor Dave, please visit the websites for Big Brothers Big
Sisters of America and Habitat for Humanity International.
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