Ping Fu, the CEO of Geomagic, recognizes that most entrepreneurs are too busy running their companies to get involved in politics.

But when the White House called, she jumped at the chance to provide a voice for small and medium businesses. Fu was one of 50 CEOs who attended a forum  on Thursday in Washington about using technology to modernize government.

"If the White House did not reach out and invite me, I probably wouldn't have" gotten involved, she said in a phone interview Thursday night. "But now I realize how important it is to do this."

And Fu believes she got her main point across: that any stimulus or job-creation money should be aimed largely at smaller companies, which do the bulk of the hiring.

Put Ping Fu on the list of local business leaders getting White House invitations.

The CEO of Geomagic is scheduled to attend a forum in Washington this afternoon on modernizing government. Her company develops 3D software used by NASA, Harley Davidson and other customers to create realistic digital models.

Geomagic employs about 100 people, including 65 at its Research Triangle Park headquarters.

Fu is one of about 50 executives invited to discuss using technology to improve government with President Barack Obama and other administration officials. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also is expected to attend and wrote a blog post about it here.

Also today, Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst is expected to attend a CEO roundtable on U.S./Asia-Pacific relations after getting an invitation from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The White House is wild about Jim Whitehurst.

Or so it might seem, as the CEO of Raleigh-based Red Hat visits Washington today for a State Department roundtable on U.S./Asia-Pacific relations. He was one of 30 CEOs invited by secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Such invites are becoming old hat for Whitehurst, who attended a White House jobs forum in December.

Today's group is likely to talk about a wide range of topics, including Google's standoff with China over online censoring, and how that dispute could hurt opportunities in that country. In addition, the business and government leaders will offer opinions on how U.S. could improve economic relations with that part of the world.

Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst attended the White House jobs summit with "modest expectations," but came away optimistic that the Obama administration will take action to help businesses start hiring again.

"I didn't hear any new, brilliant ideas that haven't been brought up before, but we focused on taking those ideas to reality," Whitehurst said by phone from the Washington airport.

Participants broke into groups, and Whitehurst's team discussed proposals such as research and hiring tax credits, and how much would be needed to spur companies to expand.

"A lot of this is bailing water," he said. The administration "wants to bring unemployment down fast."

Jim Whitehurst, CEO of Raleigh-based software company Red Hat, is among the executives who will attend President Barack Obama's jobs summit Thursday at the White House.

The group is expected to include about 130 business leaders, union chiefs, academics, mayors and representatives of nonprofit groups. The participants are scheduled to break into groups to discuss issues such as green jobs, small business incentives, long-range infrastructure plans and training for the jobs of the future.

Other corporate bosses invited by Obama include Google CEO Eric E. Schmidt, Nucor CEO Dan DiMicco and FedEx CEO Fred Smith.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that Obama plans to give a speech next week that will lay out ideas, including some already under discussion by White House economic advisers and others that might arise out of the jobs summit. But both Gibbs and Democratic leaders in Congress caution that most new steps will have to wait until next year.

Whitehurst couldn't be reached for comment about what he hopes to achieve at the summit. Whitehurst took over as Red Hat CEO in January 2008. He previously was a top executive at Delta Air Lines.

The summit's opening session, closing session and several of the discussion groups on jobs will be streamed live here.

Two Duke scientists are among 100 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.

The award is the highest honor given by the federal government to young professionals in the early stages of research careers.

Duke's Chris Dwyer and Adrienne Stiff-Roberts, both assistant professors in the department of electrical and computer engineering, were honored.

They are the only two recipients from North Carolina universities, and will be honored at the White House this fall.

The early career awards emphasize the high priority government places on producing stellar scientists and engineers who will help spur the economy, according to a White House press release.

Winners receive research grants of up to five years to further study in support of "critical government missions," according to the press release.

Just for the record: the trip the UNC basketball team took earlier this week to Washington D.C. to meet President Barack Obama at the White House was not funded by taxpayer dollars.

The trip cost $30,496 and was paid for by the Educational Foundation - or 'Ram's Club,' - which raises money for the athletic program, according to Steve Kirschner, UNC's sports information director.

There were about 50 people in the traveling party, including Chancellor Holden Thorp, Athletic Director Dick Baddour, 17 team members, six team managers, Coach Roy Williams and three assistant coaches, and a handful of other athletic department staffers in ticketing, strength and athletic training and sports information.

Thorp, Baddour, Williams and several others brought their spouses on the trip as well.

AP photo

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama loved the gifts the North Carolina Tar Heels gave him Monday, but he had one more request for the 2009 national basketball champs.

"If somebody could please present me a jump shot, I need one of those!" Obama quipped in a celebration ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.

Obama, a fervent basketball fan who grew up playing hoops in Hawaii, told his visitors they'd all done pretty well since he famously scrimmaged with them during a North Carolina campaign stop in April 2008.

See photos from President Obama's first 100 days in office.

See behind-the-scenes photos of President Obama by White House photographer Pete Souza.