UC Berkeley Executive Fellowship in Applied Technology Policy

UC Berkeley School of Information & Goldman School of Public Policy

The Executive Fellowship in Applied Technology Policy is a groundbreaking partnership between UC Berkeley’s School of Information and Goldman School of Public Policy. This prestigious eight-month program unites the socio-technical expertise of the School of Information with the policy acumen of the Goldman School to prepare distinguished leaders for the future of technology policy. The non-residential fellowship is structured to provide a dynamic platform for policy leaders to reflect on their experiences, mentor the next generation, and document their contributions to digital transformation in government. Fellows will participate in research, teaching, and high-impact meetings and events.

Our unique collaboration creates an environment where accomplished public sector technology policy leaders engage with academic thought leaders from both schools, mentor rising professionals, and document their pivotal contributions to digital transformation in government.

2025 Executive Fellows

Judy Brewer

Former Assistant Director for Accessibility, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Judy Brewer specializes in digital accessibility technology policy. In her work as assistant director for accessibility at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, she focused on strengthening implementation of digital accessibility across federal, state, and local governments, including in education and health care; and promoting accessibility and equity in artificial intelligence. 

She served briefly as a digital accessibility expert at the Partnership for Public Service, and previously directed the Web Accessibility Initiative at the World Wide Web Consortium for 25 years where she led development of the internationally recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), while also serving as a principal research scientist at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

Charlotte A. Burrows

Former Chair, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Charlotte A. Burrows was chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from 2021–2025, where she launched EEOC’s groundbreaking initiative on AI in employment. She led EEOC’s work under President Biden’s AI Executive Order, spearheaded public education on AI in employment, and issued key documents explaining AI’s impact on workplace civil rights. She also has served as associate deputy attorney general with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ); a Senate Judiciary Committee advisor to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy; and a litigator with DOJ and in private practice. Burrows graduated from Princeton University, cum laude, and Yale Law School.

Alan Davidson

Former Assistant Secretary for Communications & Information and NTIA Administrator, Dept. of Commerce

Alan Davidson served until January 2025 as the administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Agency. There Alan led a federal agency with more than 600 employees working to close the digital divide, promote responsible AI innovation, and build a better Internet. Alan has spent the last 25 years working at the intersection of Internet technology, public policy, and the law. He previously held executive roles at Mozilla, Google, New America’s Open Technology Institute, and the Center for Democracy and Technology. He is a graduate of MIT and Yale Law School, and a member of the DC Bar.

Marcela Escobar-Alva

Former Chief Information Officer, Social Security Administration

Marcela Escobar-Alava served throughout the Biden-Harris Administration, holding several senior-level positions including deputy director of White House Information Technology, special assistant to the president and chief of enterprise applications for the Office of Administration, and as deputy commissioner and chief information officer (CIO) for the Social Security Administration (SSA). Prior to her federal service, she has held several CIO positions in the private and non-profit sectors including Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Monarch Companies. She is a transformational CIO/CDO/CTO and has built and led teams in large, global and complex organizations across every aspect of technology. She has a BA from LMU and an MBA from USC.

Eric Hysen

Former Chief Information Officer & Chief AI Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Eric Hysen most recently served as the chief information officer and chief AI afficer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he oversaw a $10 billion IT portfolio and a 10,000+ person IT workforce, advancing critical initiatives in responsible AI innovation, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. He led the development of the department’s first AI roadmap and generative AI pilots, established policies for AI governance, testing, and transparency, and drove efforts to ensure the safe and secure adoption of AI in critical infrastructure. He was a founding member of the U.S. Digital Service in the White House and has worked in Silicon Valley companies, philanthropies, nonprofits, and state government to improve government services through technology. He holds a degree in computer science from Harvard University.

Arati Prabhakar

Former Science and Technology Advisor to President Biden and Director White House Office of Science & Technology Policy

Arati was President Biden’s science and technology advisor and led the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy 2022–25. Her four decades of professional contributions span the public and private sectors. She has led DARPA and NIST, been a partner at an early-stage VC firm and a senior corporate executive, and started an innovation nonprofit. Today, Arati advocates for science, technology, and innovation for our future: speaking for publicly supported R&D, encouraging bigger and better ambitions for AI, and developing a project to tell the 1000-hero stories of great American innovations.

Denice W. Ross

Former Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer for Tech Capacity and U.S. Chief Data Scientist, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy

Denice Ross is a seasoned organizer of data colleagues across civil society, academia, tech companies, and all levels of government. She served as the deputy U.S. CTO and U.S. chief data scientist in the Biden-Harris Administration, where she led the data strategy to implement the Biden-Harris equity agenda on issues such as policing, LGBTQI+, disability, military families, Puerto Rico recovery, and gun violence, and established the U.S. Tech Policy Network as a conduit for federal policymakers to easily engage with thousands of state, local, tribal, and territorial tech and data leaders.

Jennifer Toomey

Former Founding Director of the Public Interest Technology Catalyst Fund, Ford Foundation

A philanthropic leader with 17 years at the Ford Foundation, where she managed significant initiatives including a $50M investment fund that generated $200M in financing for Public Interest Technology. With deep roots in music and advocacy, Jenny founded the Future of Music Coalition and co-founded Simple Machines Records. Her career spans nonprofit leadership, technology policy, and Music. Currently on sabbatical in 2025, she's focusing on writing and music projects in Catskill, NY

Merici Vinton

U.S. Digital Service, White House and Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service

Merici Vinton leads high stakes, nationwide launches, most recently serving as a senior advisor to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. While at the US Digital Service and in partnership with the IRS, Merici spearheaded the launch of the IRS’ new free and beloved tax filing service, Direct File.

Merici was one of the first employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and developed the technology strategy for the agency, steering it towards one of openness from day one, building the agency on foundations of open source, open data, and transparency. Their trailblazing vision set the standard for modern web services in government.

Jenny Yang

Former Deputy Assistant to the President for Racial Justice and Equity, White House Domestic Policy Council

Jenny R. Yang is a partner in Outten & Golden’s Washington D.C. office, where she represents employees in individual, class and collective actions and advises state and local governments in enforcement actions. She served in the White House as deputy assistant to President Biden for racial justice and equity and as the director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in the U.S. Department of Labor. During the Obama Administration, she served as chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission where she began her decade-long effort to ensure AI and tech-based screening and hiring systems protect civil rights. 

Vera Zakem

Former Chief Digital Democracy and Rights Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development

Vera Zakem is a global leader in responsible technology and innovation. Most recently, Vera served as USAID’s chief digital democracy and rights officer, leading rights respecting technology and innovation agenda, including on AI in 100 lower and middle income countries. Previously, she led a public interest technology practice, led strategy and research in the private sector, and the intersection between technology policy, society, and U.S. foreign policy and national security. Vera has also served on the Bipartisan Task Force to Support Democracy. Vera has an M.A. in government from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in politics from the University of San Francisco.