David Parkes

David C. Parkes is the John A. Paulson Dean of the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and George F. Colony Professor of Computer Science. 

A member of the Harvard faculty since 2001, Parkes founded the EconCS research group at SEAS, which conducts theoretical and experimental research at the intersection of economics and computer science, exploring artificial intelligence and algorithms for social and economic impact.  

He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. 

A highly regarded teacher, adviser, and mentor, Parkes was named Harvard College Professor, a 5-year appointment that recognizes exemplary teaching, twice voted one of Harvard College’s Favorite Professors, has received the Roslyn Abramson Award for Teaching, and the Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising. 

During his tenure at Harvard, Parkes has held leadership positions and helped stand up several initiatives, including the master’s degree program in Data Science and the Summer Program for Undergraduates in Data Science. He was also the founding faculty co-director of the Harvard Data Science Initiative and of the Harvard Business Analytics program. 

Following his M. Eng. in Engineering and Computing Science from the University of Oxford, Parkes studied at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a Ph.D. in Computer and Information Science.