Bio

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 and affiliate at the School of International & Public Affairs where I taught as an adjunct for over a decade. My 2017 WIRED article "Net states rule the world. We need to recognize their power" introduced the term "net states" to describe how tech companies increasingly acted like countries. In 2020, my book The Information Trade: How Big Tech Conquers Countries, Challenges Our Rights, and Transforms Our World (HarperCollins) expanded the idea with original research and reporting.

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