Marshall Van Alstyne is the Questrom Chair of Information Systems at Boston University, where he studies the economics of information. He holds a BA in Computer Science from Yale as well as MS and PhD degrees in management and the economics of IT from MIT.
His research has covered such topics as platform business models, antitrust, the structure of the firm, data governance, the pricing of information, and how information drives productivity in social networks. At Berkman Klein, his specific focus is misinformation and free speech. He will be exploring questions such as: can we reduce the corrosive effects of fake news while increasing freedom of expression? Using principles of market design, he is working on both theory and evidence to show that we can reduce the flow of misinformation with no central authority – not government, not platform, and not powerful individual – judging truth.
His research has received more than 25,000 citations, two patents, and ranks among the top 2% for scientific influence globally. In 2019 and 2021, Thinkers 50 named him one of the top management scholars globally, in part for his coauthored book Platform Revolution, an international bestseller with multiple translations. His research has received over a dozen awards, including the Herb Simon Prize (2021) and INFORMS Prize (2020) for real world impact. Support includes National Science Foundation IOC, SGER, iCORPS, SBIR and Career grants. Interviews appear regularly across Bloomberg, The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio. Marshall is a husband and dad who loves dogs, exercise, travel, and questions of governance.