Dr. Rocco L. Martino was in the forefront of computer applications and process innovation almost from the inception of the computer. Prior to founding XRT and then CyberFone, he held key positions with Booz Allen & Hamilton, Olin Mathieson, and Mauchly Associates, where he worked in partnership with Dr. John Mauchly, one of the developers of ENIAC and the co-inventor of electronic computers.

Dr. Martino earned his Doctorate in Astrophysics from the Institute of Aerospace Studies for his work on the re-entry of space vehicles.While with UNIVAC in the mid-1950s, he worked closely with Dr. Grace Hopper on the forerunner of COBOL. He also worked closely with Sir Robert Watson Watt, the inventor of radar, on air navigation. Dr. Martino was a Professor of Mathematics at NYU and Professor of Systems Engineering at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He has lectured around the world on decision making, computers, foreign policy, and finance. Dr. Martino has authored numerous books and articles; at FPRI, he has written on innovation for Orbis (Spring 2007). He is currently writing a History of the General Purpose Electronic Computer that provides a bird’s eye view of many of the developments from the computer’s inception.

In 2007, Dr. Martino founded the Rocco Martino Lectures on Innovation to promote studies and education in innovation.