Michael Nacht, a professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy, has been nominated by the Obama administration to be assistant secretary of defense for global strategic affairs, joining the ranks of other UC Berkeley faculty members selected for federal positions.

Nacht's nomination was put forward by the administration on Friday. He will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before officially filling the role.

If approved, Nacht will be involved in both defense and military affairs, according to Dan Kammen, professor of public policy.

"For me, he'll be the new go-to person to talk to about what's going on with both science and policy for the Department of Defense," Kammen said.

White House spokespeople declined to comment on the nature of the position before the Senate hearings, and Nacht said he was instructed not to comment to the press.

Other UC Berkeley faculty members who have already selected for federal positions include economics professor Christina Romer, former director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Steven Chu and Haas School of Business Professor Laura D'Andrea Tyson.

Romer was appointed chair of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers in November, while Chu was confirmed as Secretary of Energy in January. In February, Tyson was asked to join the Economic Recovery Advisory Board.

According to the White House Transition Project, Obama has named people to 86 percent of top positions as of last Tuesday, outpacing the nomination rate of the last administration by almost 100 percent.

Nacht has been on campus since 1998 and served as dean of the school of public policy. During the Clinton administration, he served as assistant director at a national agency dealing with arms control and disarmament. He has also been an aerospace engineer for NASA.

"Michael has been advising the president on defense issues all along-now he has the opportunity to continue his work in Washington," said Richard Scheffler, a professor of public policy. "He will serve his country well in a very uncertain world."

Robert Reich, a professor at the school who served as Secretary of Labor under Clinton, echoed Scheffler's sentiments.

"Michael Nacht is one of the most original and insightful figures in America when it comes to national security," Reich said. "He understands better than anyone the new kinds of threats this nation faces."

Tags: OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE