Geoffrey Parker Appointed Faculty Director of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society

Hanover, NH – Geoffrey Parker, the Charles E. Hutchinson '68A Professor of Engineering Innovation, has been named the Faculty Director of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society.

"Geoff is the perfect choice to lead the Irving Institute and drive its world-class impact in addressing the most critical challenges at the interface of energy and society. Geoff is a global thought leader, he brings vast experience both in academia and in the field, and he is especially adept at bringing together stakeholders with different perspectives to develop solutions. The Advisory Board is thrilled by Geoff's appointment," said Scott Fisher '93, TH'93, TU'98, Chair of the Advisory Board.

Founded in 2017, Dartmouth's Irving Institute aims to accelerate an affordable, reliable, and equitable clean energy transition. Over the past year, Parker has served as interim faculty director, leading the Institute through substantial growth. Under his guidance, the Institute completed a new 2030 Strategic Plan, expanded its seed grant program, and launched a Master of Energy Transition degree.

"I want the Irving Institute to be a place for conversations—sometimes difficult ones—about the energy transition to a low-carbon future," Parker stated. "We can have an outsized influence as both a local and global forum for thought leaders to learn from one another. It matters because everyone is affected by the energy transition. Over the next few decades, our systems will change more fundamentally than they have in the past century. While many technological solutions are known, we must explore how to implement the transition in an affordable, sustainable, and equitable way through effective governance structures. This is one of if not the major challenge of our time."

This past fall, Parker facilitated complex discussions on vital energy topics. During Climate Week NYC 2024, he led a panel on finance and technology, addressing the intricate connections between Arctic communities, climate change, and opportunities in new technology investment. Following the November 5th election, he hosted a productive dialogue featuring distinguished policy experts representing both Republican and Democratic perspectives.

"The Irving Institute stands at a literal and metaphorical crossroads. It joins Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering and Tuck School of Business and draws in partners from across Arts & Sciences," said Provost David Kotz '86. "It also serves as a convener of diverse sectors and viewpoints, creating momentum for effective collaboration on shared goals, and establishes a multidisciplinary community to lead the decarbonization of the global economy."

Parker is known for pioneering work on two-sided network effect theory and the theory of the inverted firm. He applied these economic theories to explain multi-sided digital platform business models. Popular works of note include the book Platform Revolution, delivering the first comprehensive analysis on digital platform businesses and technology, and HBR articles "Strategies for Two-Sided Markets" and "From Pipelines to Platforms." His research has implications for electrifying transportation networks, electrifying multi-modal logistics systems, and integrating renewable energy into the power grid, thereby contributing to key areas of the Institute's research mission.

"Geoff's deep understanding of how digital technologies can revolutionize energy systems will be instrumental in pushing forward our mission to develop cutting-edge approaches to sustainable energy transformation," Fisher said. 

Parker is a Fellow of the Production and Operations Management Society and has served on the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Advanced Manufacturing and Production. He also served on an expert economist panel of the European Commission to provide commentary and feedback on the EU Digital Markets Act. Parker earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from Princeton and both a master's and doctoral degree from MIT.

"Geoffrey Parker's expertise in engineering and business makes him the ideal leader for the Institute's next development stage," stated Provost Kotz. "He is deeply familiar with the Institute and committed to enhancing its strategic vision in research and education."

For more information on the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society, please visit irving.dartmouth.edu.