Longtime IBM Executive to Lead Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence
David Watts, an innovation-driven tech leader, will join the College this summer to advance the interdisciplinary mission of AI at Colby
David Watts, a senior executive at IBM and a nationally recognized leader in emerging technology and artificial intelligence, has been appointed the new director of the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby. He will begin his role in August.
Watts brings nearly 30 years of experience across the tech sector, with extensive expertise in integrating AI into enterprise-scale products and services. Most recently, he served as vice president for the IBM Z Platform, where he led the development and delivery of hybrid cloud AI, security, and resilience solutions on IBM’s industry-leading mainframe systems. These platforms power mission-critical use cases such as real-time fraud detection, AI-assisted medical diagnostics, and global-scale financial operations.
Over the course of his IBM career, Watts held multiple leadership roles, including vice president of systems development, vice president of systems strategy, and director of systems technology development. Earlier in his career, he worked at Motorola, Obsidian Inc., and Ebara Technologies, and also launched a startup focused on precision processing in the fabrication of advanced semiconductor devices. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Boulder, for his research on quantized superlattice electrodes in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; an M.S. from the University of California, Berkeley; and a B.A. from Carleton College, a liberal arts college in Minnesota.
“David has an extraordinary history in developing leading-edge systems for global businesses,” said President David A. Greene. “His deep understanding of AI, his scientific and technical expertise, and his ability to lead across sectors make him ideally suited to guide the Davis Institute. Just as importantly, David brings the mindset of a teacher and the heart of an academic, with a vision that aligns perfectly with the future of the liberal arts.”
A vision aligned with innovation and impact
Launched in 2021 with a $30-million gift from the Davis family and trustee Andrew Davis ’85, LL.D. ’15, the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence was the first interdisciplinary AI institute at a liberal arts college. It is designed to equip students with the skills and ethical grounding to understand, shape, and responsibly apply AI across fields.
Watts said his decision to transition from industry to academia was fueled by a desire to impact the next generation of thinkers and leaders.
“For me, it comes down to impact. What kind of difference do you want to make in the world, and in whose lives?” Watts said. “The Davis Institute is already doing something unique in higher education. I saw a chance to help shape a powerful, cross-disciplinary vision, one that prepares students to lead in an AI-transformed world with creativity, purpose, and integrity.”
He was especially impressed by how AI has been embedded across Colby’s curriculum, with courses spanning environmental studies, philosophy, economics, biology, and the arts.
“AI unites disciplines, that’s where innovation thrives. I’m excited about helping Colby expand how AI is applied, imagined, and regulated,” he said. “If we are even fractionally successful, the ripple effect on students and society will be enormous.”
‘David has seen AI deployed across different industries, with different needs and ethics. That real-world insight will enrich the institute’s work and deepen our students’ understanding of how to engage AI critically and creatively.’
Incoming Provost Denise Bruesewitz
Margaret McFadden, provost and dean of faculty, who helped launch the Davis Institute and chaired the search committee, praised Watts for his collaborative spirit and his ability to lead through complexity. “David stood out for his vision, adaptability, and ability to build bridges between disciplines,” said McFadden, who is retiring this summer. “He brings industry expertise that will further strengthen the institute’s reach across campus and beyond.”
Denise Bruesewitz, Colby’s incoming provost, echoed those sentiments.
“David has seen AI deployed across different industries, with different needs and ethics,” she said. “That real-world insight will enrich the institute’s work and deepen our students’ understanding of how to engage AI critically and creatively.”
A career defined by exploration
Watts began his career as a technical lead at Motorola, where he contributed to first-of-a-kind, nano-scale copper wiring in semiconductor devices. He later joined Obsidian Inc., a Silicon Valley startup acquired by Applied Materials, and then led a research lab for Ebara Technologies. He launched his own venture, Acute, Inc., before joining IBM’s semiconductor research division in 2005.
By 2017 he had shifted from pure R&D to business and platform development, taking on vice president roles that blended technical expertise with strategy and systems delivery. In 2023 he led the development and launch of IBM z17, a mainframe platform enhanced with AI capabilities across hardware and software.
“The new z17 was built to drive business value using AI in real time, from healthcare to retail to financial services,” Watts explained. “That kind of complexity and impact is thrilling, but so is the opportunity to influence how future leaders think about AI from day one of their education.”
With both of his daughters now in college, Watts began exploring a new chapter, one that would allow him to return to the liberal arts values that shaped his early academic life.
“I wasn’t optimistic about finding a great fit in the liberal arts until I saw the Davis AI position,” he said. “It was the first time I saw a place where someone like me, passionate about science, technology, education, and ethics, could land in a liberal arts environment. Colby had to create it first. And they did.”
‘For me, it comes down to impact. What kind of difference do you want to make in the world, and in whose lives? The Davis Institute is already doing something unique in higher education. I saw a chance to help shape a powerful, cross-disciplinary vision, one that prepares students to lead in an AI-transformed world with creativity, purpose, and integrity.’
David Watts
