Clarence Wardell III, Ph.D. was a Public Interest Technology Fellow at New America. He is the director of Repurpose for Results underneath the What Works Cities Initiative at Results for America. In this capacity, he works with mid-size cities across the country to help them use data and evidence to guide their programming and policy-making. He was most recently a member of the U.S. Digital Service at the Obama White House, where he led strategy and product management across several of the team’s projects. In that role, he also co-led the White House Police Data Initiative, an effort aimed at using open data as a way to increase trust and engagement between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Prior to joining the U.S. Digital Service, Wardell served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow from 2014-2015.
Wardell is a researcher and social entrepreneur who is passionate about using technology to increase and enhance civic engagement and social justice. Previously, he was a research scientist with CNA Corporation’s Safety & Security group, where he provided analytical support to emergency management and law enforcement organizations to improve response outcomes. Alongside his work at CNA, Wardell has developed several civic-focused software products and conducted research in the online charitable giving space. In 2012, he co-founded tinyGive, a social media-based microphilanthropy platform that was acquired in 2016.
Wardell, who was previously an affiliate with Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, is currently a Council on Foreign Relations term member and was named one of Fast Company’s "Most Creative People in Business" in 2017. He holds a B.S.E. in computer engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.