Michael van Biema joined the faculty in 1992 and is currently directing a program for the study of technology and productivity at Columbia University which is funded in part by the Alfred Sloan Foundation. His current research involves understanding the effects technology on productivity in the service sector of the economy. He is conducting a number of individual case studies along with other member of the faculty on several communications users and providers. He is member of the faculty of both the Columbia Business School's Finance Division, and the School of Engineering's, Department of Computer Science.