Team
The Foresight Forum Team explores the requirements for and human use of information technologies with expertise from design, anthropology, civil engineering, archeology, psychology, education, social sciences, humanities, medicine, law, communication and management sciences.
Larry Leifer is Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Founding Director for the Center for Design Research at Stanford University. Dr. Leifer's engineering design thinking research is focused on instrumenting design teams to understand, support, and improve design practice and theory. Speci c issues include: design-team research methodology, global team dynamics, innovation leadership, interaction design, design-for-wellbeing, and adaptive mechatronic systems. Dr. Leifer received his BS in Engineering Science, his MS in Product Design and his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Stanford University.
Michael Shanks is a Professor of Classics at Stanford University. He does what most people associate with archaeology – dig up the past — and he is part of the team excavating the Roman town of Binchester in the north of England. His expertise in ancient Greece and Rome is also the basis for his interest in all manner of archaeological themes, including the history of design, long-term patterns in history, and heritage. Shanks is also a senior faculty member of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University, where he champions history and memory in enlightened design thinking and practice.
William Cockayne is s seasoned executive, having created and led teams in blue sky research, incubation, product development, and manufacturing. He has shipped over 20 successful products at companies including Eastman Kodak, DaimlerBenz, and Apple Computer. At Stanford University, he is a Lecturer in Foresight & Innovation, which is delivered on campus in the ME410 course series. He holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a master of science in computer science and is the inventor of multiple patents.
Tamara Carleton, PhD, is a world-renowned executive, educator, researcher, and thought leader focused on building innovative, impactful organizations. She is the CEO and founder of Innovation Leadership Group LLC and lead author of the Playbook for Strategic Foresight and Innovation, a hands-on guide that has been used by hundreds of teams to be more innovative. Dr. Carleton is an International Online Professor in Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Tecnológico de Monterrey’s EGADE Business School in Mexico, the #1 business school in Latin America; a Lecturer of Management at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, one of the top five European business schools; and a Visiting Professor in Design at the Osaka Institute of Technology, a private university in Japan. She is one of the few international experts that has studied DARPA’s model of radical innovation. She holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.
Chris Ford is a design professional, design educator, and design researcher in the areas of both Architecture and Infrastructure design. Chris is currently a PhD Candidate at Stanford University in the Mechanical Engineering Design Group and is advised by Professor Larry Leifer, PhD. As a Research coordinator in the Stanford Center for Design Research, Chris spearheads a new initiative titled “Resilience Design Research” which uses Design Thinking as a research method for next-generation, resilient solutions for the built environment. This initiative includes research interests in both urban and suburban contexts.