Alexis Wichowski
ABOUT
I work, write, and teach about technology, public service, and power. I currently serve as Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies following 12 years an an adjunct at the School of International & Public Affairs. I see tech today as a wildly overused information-conveyance vehicle, like a hammer sees a nail. We;re far more than our cognitive processing powers. I teach about that.
Most of what I've written on tech and it's role in the world are at early signs of change -- often too early: it took 2 years and 10 rejections before WIRED published "Net states rule the world. We need to recognize their power" in 2017 introducing the term "net states" to describe how tech companies were acting like countries. In 2020, The Information Trade: How Big Tech Conquers Countries, Challenges Our Rights & Transforms Our World expanded on the idea in book form.
In addition to writing and teaching, I've spent my career as a public servant and root for good bureaucrats whenever possible. Past work in government includes for the City of New York as a Deputy Chief Technology Officer, Associate Commissioner & Press Secretary at the founding of its Department of Veterans’ Services, and various roles within the US Department of State and the US Mission to the United Nations. In addition to public service and teaching, I've written on technology, government, and power in various outlets such as The Washington Post, TechCrunch, Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, and others.
Past life work includes disaster relief, literary translation, media impact research, indexing, coding, theater production, and pretzel vending, a Ph.D. in Information Science from SUNY Albany and a BA in Chinese from Connecticut College.
Experience (CV)
current
- Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University, SPS
public service
- Fellows Experience Supervisor, United States Digital Corps, GSA
- Deputy Chief Technology Officer (Innovation; Broadband (act.), NYC
- Assoc. Commissioner / Press Officer, Dept. of Veterans' Services, NYC
- Director of Media Analysis & Strategy, US Mission to the United Nations
- Presidential Management Fellow, Office of eDiplomacy, US Dept of State
teaching
- Adjunct Assoc. Professor, Columbia University
- Lecturer, University at Albany, SUNY
education
- PhD, Information Science, University at Albany, SUNY
- BA, Chinese, Connecticut College
other
- Disaster relief field responder, American Red Cross
- Literary translation (Chinese > English), Guangzhou, China
- Media impact research, Harmony Labs
- Founding member, Inverse Theater
- Pretzel vendor, Union Square
recognition
- NYC[x] Tech & Innovation Awards, co-founder, NYC
- NYC[x] Tech & Innovation Awards, “Meta Award,” NYC
- NYC[x] Innovation Fellows, co-founder, NYC
- “Top Five Course Award” (student vote), Columbia University
- Responsible Tech “All Tech is Human,” Mentor
- Govern for America “League of Innovators,” Mentor
- Service 2 Service, Dept. of Veterans' Services, Mentor
- Meritorious Honor Awards (3): USUN; Office of eDiplomacy
- Presidential Management Fellowship, Office of Personnel Mgmt
- Distinguished Dissertation Award, University at Albany, SUNY
- “Women in Technology Award,” University at Albany, SUNY
- Fulbright-Hayes fellowship, US-China