Marshall Van Alstyne

MIT Sloan School
50 Memorial Drive E53-308
Cambridge, MA 02142
EMail: marshall@mit.edu
Phone: (617) 253-2970
Fax: (617) 258-7579

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PRIMARY TEACHING/RESEARCH INTEREST

1. Information Economics

SPECIFIC RESEARCH INTERESTS

1. Information Economics
2. Modeling and Simulation
3. Management of IS
4. AI / Expert Systems

SPECIFIC TEACHING INTERESTS

1. Management of IS
2. Information Economics
3. Modeling and Simulation
4. AI / Expert Systems

EDUCATION

Ph.D Information Technology / Economics, 1997 (expected) MIT Sloan School of Management.
Dissertation Title: Information Distribution in Networks: Issues of Efficiency, Equity, Policy, and Growth. An Abstract is available.

MS (Information Technology), 1991 MIT Sloan School of Management.

BA (Computer Science), 1984 Yale University.

WORK EXPERIENCE

1994-1995 Partner: Cambridge Decision Dynamics. Cofounded a software and consulting firm that provided enrollment demand models and strategic planning tools for colleges and universities. Responsible for software development and sales. Clients include University of Arizona, University of Houston, University of New Hampshire, and the California State College system.

1990-1991 Consultant: Pugh Roberts Associates. Projects included new business development, environmental business plan development, R&D restructuring, technology strategy, questionnaire design & data analysis, and market analysis for firms in different industrial sectors. Selected clients included Campbell's Soup, R.R. Donnelly, U.S. Post Office, and NCR.

1986-1988 Associate Staff: Lincoln Laboratory. Designed CAD/CAM software to assist with semiconductor research, design, and manufacture. Designed graphical interface to a telecommunications expert system. Published independent project on neural networks.

1984-1986 Software Systems Developer: Martin Marietta Data Systems. Research projects included natural language interface and expert systems design. Built an expert system to assist with the management of $100 million+ projects. Led quality assurance team.

1985 Adjunct Faculty: Denver University. Developed a graduate course in natural language processing.

COURSES TAUGHT or TA'D

• Information Technology, Economics, and Organizations, 1 Semester
• Management Information Systems, 3 Semesters
• Introduction to Natural Language Processing, 1 Semester

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

1. Wider Access and Narrower Focus: Could the Internet Balkanize Science?

   Alstyne, M. V. & Brynjolfsson, E.

   Science 274(5292), Nov. 29, 1996 pp. 1479-1480.

   Abstract or Full Text (20k PDF)

   
   

2. The Matrix of Change -- A Tool for Business Process Reengineering

   Brynjolfsson, E., Renshaw, A. A. & Alstyne, M. V.

   Sloan Management Review. (forthcoming, Winter 1996).

   Abstract or Full Text (145k PDF)

   
   

3. The State of Network Organization: A Survey in Three Frameworks

   Alstyne, M. V.

   Journal of Organizational Computing., (forthcoming 1996).

   Abstract or Full Text (310k PDF)

   
   

4. Why Not One Big Database? Principles for Data Ownership

   Alstyne, M. V., Brynjolfsson, E. & Madnick, S.

   Decision Support Systems Journal. V15, N4; (Dec. 1995).

   Abstract or Full Text (280K PDF)

   
   

5. Remaking the Neural Net: A Perceptron Logic Unit

   Alstyne, M. V.

   Neural Networks, Journal of the International Neural Network Society; (1988) Pergammon Press; New York, NY; p143.

   Full Text (16K HTML)

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

1. Electronic Communities: Global Village or Cyberbalkans?

   International Conference on Information Systems.Cleveland, OH; (December 15-18, 1996).

   Awarded Prize for Best Conference Theme Paper.
   
   

2. Viewing the University as an Information Process

   Invited Talk

   Stanford Forum for Higher Education Futures; Aspen, Co. (Oct. 16-18, 1996)
   
   

3. Cyber-Stratification and the Secession of Information Elites

   Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), Washington, DC. (June 5-8, 1996).
   
   

4. Communication Networks and the Rise of an Information Elite -- Do Computers Help the Rich get Richer?

   International Conference on Information Systems, Amsterdam. (December 14-17, 1995).
   
   

5. On Tools and Technologies -- A Comparison of Different Modeling Methods

   Symposium on Systems Thinking in Higher Education; Boston, MA; (June 15-16, 1995).
   
   

6. Modeling the University as a Complex System: Experience from Enrollment Demand

   Sloan Foundation Symposium; Atlanta, GA; (June. 11-12, 1995).
   
   

7. The Price of Knowledge -- Hedonic Indicators from the OnLine Database Industry

   Workshop on Information Systems and Economics; Orlando, FL; (Dec. 11, 1993).
   
   

8. Ownership Principles for Distributed Database Design

   Workshop on Information Technology & Systems; Dallas, TX; (Dec. 12, 1992).
   
   

9. The Runmaster Library: Semiconductor Fabrication Software

   Stanford CIM-IC Workshop Aug. 1988.
   
   

UNREFEREED PUBLICATIONS

• Higher Education's Information Challenge

  Alstyne, M. V.

  Executive Strategies 2(4), May, 1997 pp. 1-14.

  Abstract or Full Text (70k PDF)

PAPERS UNDER REVIEW

• Communication Networks and the Rise of an Information Elite -- Do Computers Help the Rich get Richer?

  Alstyne, M. V. & Brynjolfsson, E.

  Abstract or Full Text (200k PDF)

HONORS AND AWARDS

1. Prize for Best Theme Paper (Int'l Conf. on Info. Sys.) 1996.
2. ICIS Doctoral Consortium (faculty nomination) 1996.
3. Hugh Hampton Young Memorial Fellowship (innovative research) 1994.
4. Citibank Trading and Investment Competition (winning investment strategy) 1991.
5. William L. Stewart Award (outstanding contributions to MIT) 1990.
6. MIT Enterprise Forum Scholarship (promising business plan) 1989.

Additional information about Marshall Van Alstyne is available.

Last Modified on November 1, 1996