Teaching
Complex Systems Workshops
Prior to coming to entering academics I was the cofounder of PracticeFields, a corporate education and consulting company that created interactive board games to change the way people think and act. My colleagues and I at PracticeFields developed dynamic computational models of business problems, created physical board games to bring the models to life, and then designed and delivered workshops that used the board games as catalysts for organizational performance improvement. In academic settings, the games provide a platform for teaching principles of complex systems in a meaningful and concrete manner.
Project Dynamics
This workshop centers on The Project Value Game, a system dynamics-based board game that provides an opportunity for participants to discover the often hidden cause and effect relationships that lead to projects that are late, over budget, and less than the expected value. It is has been used to kickoff to projects ranging from new software development to the construction of manufacturing facilities.
Manufacturing Reliability
This workshop centers on The Manufacturing Game, a system dynamics-based board game originally developed at the DuPont, and now used by dozens of process manufacturing companies as part of operational improvement and organizational change initiatives.
The Manufacturing Game Website
My teaching philosophy reflects a core belief that also underlies my approach to researching social and economic systems: the best way to learn about complex systems is to struggle with the decisions required to build models of their behavior. Consequently, I make heavy use of projects, simulations, and case studies in my teaching. I also create courses and workshops that give participants an opportunity to create and deeply engage with dynamic models.
Current Courses (ASU)
PAF 415, Social Entrepreneurship: Coding for the Social Good
PAF 505, Public Policy Analysis
PAF 540, Advanced Policy Analysis (Data Analytics and Modeling)
PAF 573, Applied Econometrics
PAF 691, Social Dynamics and Policy Informatics
Previous Courses (Northwestern University)
Strategic Management in Non-Market Environments (MBA)
Education Industry (MBA)
Modeling Organizations (Undergraduate)