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Alan Davidson '89

Applying Technology and Policy Expertise at Google

(First published in Technology Review, May/June 2006)

Alan Davidson '89

Alan Davidson says that doing his job at Google is a lot like drinking from MIT's legendary fire hose. Davidson joined the Google team in May 2005 as head of its Washington, DC, government affairs office. He quickly found himself dealing with a conflict with the U.S. Justice Department, censorship in China, and debates about the company's future.

"Google is a very, very interesting place," he says with a laugh. But Davidson is well qualified to meet the demands of engineers, lawyers, and politicians. He holds a JD from Yale Law School and has served as the associate director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a nonprofit group in Washington, DC, dedicated to promoting civil liberties online. "I really had a front-row seat for the early legal battles surrounding the Internet," he says. His role at Google involves advocacy and bridging the gap between engineering and government cultures.

At MIT, Davidson earned a master's degree in the Technology and Policy Program (TPP) in the Engineering Systems Division. "TPP is a very unique place," he says. "There aren't many places that really emphasize the dual competency between the technical and policy fields. Increasingly, the decisions that confront us as a society involve technology."

The New Jersey native was drawn to both technology and leadership during his MIT years. He was an Undergraduate Association vice president and, during his senior year, led a campaign to save the pass/fail (or pass/no record) grading system. He counts the late Margaret MacVicar, a physics professor who also served as dean of undergraduate education, and Paul Gray, professor of electrical engineering and president emeritus, as vital influences during his academic years.

Davidson returned to the Institute two years ago as a visiting scholar in the Science, Technology, and Society Program. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, where he teaches a graduate course on Internet policy. Outside of work, he and his wife, Melissa, are busy raising their two young children, Amelia, four, and Harry, one.

Davidson is hesitant to predict Google's future. In 2005, the company's sales jumped to $6 billion and its profits reached an estimated $1.6 billion. In 2006, it is scheduled to spend more than $500 million on R&D. But where will that take the company? "It's still too early to tell," Davidson says. "It's just a tremendous collection of talent and an underestimated model of innovation."