Director of Research for Merit Network
Pierrette Renée Dagg
Dr. Pierrette Renée Dagg is Director of Research and Research & Development at Merit Network, where she oversees a diverse portfolio of state and national initiatives spanning artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced networking, quantum infrastructure, cybersecurity, and the social impact of technology. She serves as Principal Investigator and collaborator on projects across Michigan and the country, including the National Distributed Network Telescope and emerging quantum-ready networking strategies. Her scholarship focuses on AI in education and ethical AI governance, advancing responsible innovation that strengthens research infrastructure, expands digital opportunity, and supports the public good.
Dr. Dagg is a Research Associate at the Quello Center for Media and Information Policy at Michigan State University and an Adjunct Professor at Oakland Community College. She serves as Area Chair for Intellectual Property and Copyright at the Popular Culture Association, is a member of the AI Policy Subcommittee at the University of Toledo, and chairs the AI Innovations Working Group at Merit Network. She previously served as a Fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, publishing case studies on broadband community champions.
A contributing author to The Female Teacher on Television (Bloomsbury) and a published contributor with ISTE, Dr. Dagg’s work bridges technology, ethics, media, and education. Before joining Merit, she was Creative Director at Crain’s Detroit Business and received multiple professional honors, including awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and PRism, and an Emmy nomination. She earned her Ph.D. in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education and Education Technology from the University of Toledo, along with an Executive MBA, and continues to contribute actively to national research and policy conversations at the intersection of AI, infrastructure, and the public sphere.