Lynne E Parker (Dr)

Dr Lynne E Parker is Assistant Director for Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). In this role, she is the White House lead for AI policy, and engages with numerous stakeholders to accelerate advances in AI for economic growth, improved quality of life, and national security. Dr Parker helped lead the development of President Trump’s Executive Order establishing the American Artificial Intelligence Initiative, which bolsters research, governance, and education and workforce training around AI. She is now overseeing the implementation of this Initiative and many other related AI actions.

Prior to joining OSTP, Dr Parker was Interim Dean of the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), and Professor in UTK’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. Dr Parker previously served as National Science Foundation’s Division Director for Information and Intelligent Systems, where she oversaw NSF’s investments in AI. Prior to joining UTK, she worked as a Distinguished R&D Staff Member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Dr Parker is a world-leading expert on distributed and intelligent robot systems, human-robot interaction, and artificial intelligence with over 140 peer-reviewed papers on these and related subjects. She has taught many graduate and undergraduate courses on AI, machine learning, robotics, algorithms, and related topics.

Dr Parker received her PhD in computer science from MIT, and received the US Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). She is a Fellow of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) and a Fellow of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).