About Dylan
A career in public service.
A focus on what comes next.
I’m Dylan Hayden—a public sector practitioner, educator, and author working at the intersection of AI, data, and government.
The perspective I bring
Technology is part
of a bigger job.
Public institutions need to make technology useful within a much larger set of responsibilities: serving people, managing resources, supporting staff, and earning public trust. That is the context I bring to my teaching, speaking, and advisory work.
I am an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government. Before Penn, I worked in federal and state government, including as Enterprise Open Data Team Lead at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
My work spans AI adoption, data governance, transparency, and public management. I am interested in what happens after a demonstration: how an institution decides what to use, prepares its people, and evaluates the results.
Experience
From government work
to public conversation.
University of Pennsylvania
Associate Professor of Practice · Fels Institute of Government
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Enterprise Open Data Team Lead, 2022–2025. Earlier work included data analytics in fair housing and public housing programs.
Federal & state service
Additional experience at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and in New York state government.
Writing & research
Author of The Public Administrator’s Guide to ChatGPT and publisher of The Public AI Brief. Published in HUD’s Cityscape.
Explore the writingEquitable data
Member of the writing and editorial team for the March 2023 National Science and Technology Council report on implementing the Equitable Data Working Group’s recommendations.
View the White House report (PDF)Education & military service
Doctor of Public Administration, University of Baltimore. Master of Public Administration, University of Pennsylvania. U.S. Navy veteran and former Arabic and Pashto linguist.
Bring that perspective to your audience.
Speaking, workshops, media interviews, and advisory work for people navigating AI and institutional change.