Mark Wilson is a professor of Urban & Regional Planning in SPDC, with bachelor's and master’s degrees from the University of Melbourne (Australia), and an AM and PhD in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the director of the Planning, Design and Construction doctorate program. His research and teaching interests address urban planning, information technology, economic geography, public policy and nonprofit organizations. Specific research interests focus on three themes: 1) The planning, land use and economic issues associated with mega events, such as the Olympics and World’s Fairs; 2) The social, economic and political implications of technological change, including the Internet and autonomous vehicles, with emphasis on planning strategies and urban implications. This research interest is characterized by the recent publication of the book, Global Information Society (Rowman & Littlefield 2013), with Aharon Kellerman and Kenneth E Corey; and 3) The use of social media and big data as a research tool for understanding public attitudes towards cities, events and technological change.