Meeting Speaker: Cliff Whitcomb, PhD, Design Thinking: What is it and What Does it Mean for Systems Engineering?
Albuquerque , USA
Applied Technology Associates (ATA) at 1300 Britt Street, SE
Abstract: This presentation describes Design Thinking in a basic form. The relationship to systems engineering is then explored, particularly as it relates to systems engineering processes and systems thinking. These concepts are then presented in the context of developing systems engineering competencies. Finally, some radical ideas are presented for the education and development of systems engineers into the future.
Bio: Dr. Cliff Whitcomb’s research interests include model-based systems engineering for enterprise systems, defense systems of systems, naval construction and engineering, and leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills development for engineers. He has more than 35 years experience in defense systems engineering and related fields. He is the co-author of “Effective Interpersonal and Team Communication Skills for Engineers” published as part of an IEEE Series by John Wiley and Sons, and has published several other textbook chapters. He is a principal investigator for research projects from the US Navy Office of Naval Research, Office of the Joint Staff, Office of the Secretary of the Navy, and several naval system commands and naval warfare centers. He is an INCOSE Fellow, has served on the INCOSE Board of Directors, and was a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt for Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. Dr. Whitcomb was previously the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Endowed Chair in Shipbuilding and Engineering in the department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the University of New Orleans, a senior lecturer in the System Design and Management (SDM) program at MIT, as well as an Associate Professor in the Ocean Engineering Department, at MIT. Dr. Whitcomb is also a retired naval officer, having served 23 years as a submarine warfare officer and Engineering Duty Officer. He earned his B.S. in Engineering (Nuclear Engineering) from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA in 1984, M.S. degrees in Naval Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 1992, and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD in 1998.