David Ebert
David Ebert is the University of Arizona's inaugural chief AI and data science officer. He leads the Office of Responsible AI and the Arizona Institute for AI and Society, and he sets the university's strategy for the responsible use of artificial intelligence and data science across research, education and operations.
Setting Arizona's course for responsible AI
As chief AI and data science officer, Ebert is the strategic architect for the university's AI and data science vision. He reports to the senior vice president for research and partnerships and works across campus to build an interdisciplinary program that accelerates innovation, expands research capacity and positions Arizona as a global leader in the responsible application of AI and machine learning.
His work connects faculty, students and partners across disciplines. It includes developing the university's new AI and health initiative, unifying data-focused programs and forming research consortia that compete for funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. The aim is to put AI and data science to work on large, real-world challenges in areas that include human health, environmental resilience, national security and space.
A national leader in AI and data science
Ebert is an internationally recognized expert in visual analytics, explainable AI and human-computer teaming. He holds the Computer Science Engineering Endowed Innovation Chair and is a tenured professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering, where he is helping develop the college's new computer science engineering program.
Before joining the U of A in 2025, Ebert was the Gallogly Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, where he served as chief AI officer, associate vice president for research and partnerships, and director of the Data Institute for Societal Challenges. Earlier, he was the Silicon Valley Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. He is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a recipient of the IEEE Computer Society VGTC Technical Achievement Award.