David Alan Grier is a writer, author and speaker on issues of technology, society, & organizations. He is the author of numerous, award-winning books on computing and society, including When Computers Were Human, the story of how we organized computation before we had machines to do for it.

He is Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). He received this award for his contributions to crowdsourcing. Since 2007, written a regular column on computing and society for Computer magazine. He has served in a variety of leadership roles in the IEEE, including Manager of Computing Society magazines, Vice President of Publications for the Computer Society and President of the Computer Society of the IEEE.

He writes a monthly column for the Chinese Computing Federation (published in Mandarin).

He is a principal in the consulting firm Djaghe, LLC.

He has been employed by the George Washington University in a variety of professorial and administrative roles. Associate Professor Emeritus of International Science and Technology Policy in the Institute for International Science & Technology Policy at the Elliott School of International Affairs.

He is not the famous comedian David Alan Grier, though seems to be a distant cousin.