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P. JEFFREY POTASH

Center for Interdisciplinary Excellence in System Dynamics, LLP

Professional Preparation:

Cornell University Jr. Yr. Course Work 1973-1974
University of Vermont History B.A. 1971-1973
1974-1975
University of Chicago History M.A.
Ph.D.		 1975-1978
1978-1986

Appointments:

2001- present Partner, Center for Interdisciplinary Excellence in System Dynamics, LLP
2005 - present Co-Director, Educational Modeling Exchange
Creative Learning Exchange, Acton, MA
2001 - 2005 Co-Director, Center for System Dynamics
Vermont Commons School, South Burlington, VT
1996 - 2001
1980 - 2000		 Co-Director, Waters Center for System Dynamics
Lecturer - Full Professor; Trinity College of Vermont; Burlington, VT
1985 - 1987 Historical Consultant for Office of the Attorney General, State of Vermont
1978 - 1979 Researcher, National Historic Publications and Records Commission Grant Vermont Supreme Court.

Critical Skills and Knowledge:

  • Systems Thinking and System Dynamics (st/sd): Initial training at High Performance Systems, Inc., 1989 and MIT, 1990; co-directed a research and development center for middle and high school st/sd applications; used st/sd to support diverse array of innovative undergraduate courses and seminars; conducted extensive outreach to K12 educators in curricular and organizational uses of st/sd; developed an extensive set of simulation models and self-paced computerized tutorials for st/sd training; collaborated with High Performance Systems, Inc in design and beta-testing of a release of STELLA/IThink software; wide breadth of consulting (as Founding Partner of CIESD, LLP) in educational, public service, and government settings.
  • Academic Leadership and Collaboration: Co-directed a grant-funded center devoted to developing educational applications of st/sd (4 years); worked productively with administrators and faculty from all five of Trinity College’s academic departments in chairing Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development Councils, with a wide diversity of k-12 educators around the country, and with a variety of corporate (for-profit and non-profit) business and educational leaders; co-directed the Center for System Dynamics at the Vermont Commons School; co-direct the Educational Modeling Exchange of the Creative Learning Exchange..
  • Research: Continuously engaged in historical research, culminating in Freedom and Unity. 2004. Vt. Historical Society. 730 pp (with M. Sherman & G. Sessions)
  • Communication and Instruction: 20 years experience as an undergraduate instructor in a wide variety of disciplines and formats; conducted system dynamics training workshops of various durations for students, faculty, and non-profit and for-profit business people; many presentations at professional meetings; presented numerous proposals to funding agencies and governing councils and boards.
  • Breadth and Flexibility: Professionally trained and experienced as an American religious historian, requiring integration of wide diversity of disciplinary strands; have taught a wide range of undergraduate courses, including experimental interdisciplinary ones; collaborated successfully with diverse audience of students, professional colleagues, and st/sd clients on a wide variety of topics.

The continuous focus of my st/sd work is on the insights that can be obtained, and transferred across disciplinary boundaries, from simple systemic structures.

System Dynamics Publications and Invited Presentations

(senior author underlined; can provide list of other publications):

1992 Modeling dynamic systems: An interdisciplinary approach for teaching undergraduates to think critically. In: H. Greenberg (ed.) Computing Across the Curriculum, Univ. of Vt., pp. 91-94 (with J.F. Heinbokel, M. Engelken, and R. Green). Modeling dynamic systems: An interdisciplinary approach for teaching undergraduates to think critically. In: H. Greenberg (ed.) Computing Across the Curriculum, Univ. of Vt., pp. 91-94. (with J.F. Heinbokel, M. Engelken, and R. Green).
1995Programs to support the development of system dynamics-based curricula. In: Shimada, T. and K. Saaed (eds.) System Dynamics '95 (Proc of the 1995 International System Dynamics Conf., Tokyo, Japan), pp. 572-581. (with J.F. Heinbokel, M. Engelken, and R. Green). Presented as a contributed paper.
1997A Self-Paced Approach To Teaching System Dynamics. In: Systems Approach to Learning and Education into the 21st Century (Proceedings of the 15th International System Dynamics Conference, August 1997, Istanbul, Turkey). Barlas, Y., V. G. Diker, and S. Polat (eds.). pp. 815-820 (with J.F. Heinbokel). Presented as a contributed paper.
1997Developing System Dynamics Skills To Support A Content-Based Curriculum. In: Systems Approach to Learning and Education into the 21st Century (Proceedings of the 15th International System Dynamics Conference, August 1997, Istanbul, Turkey). Barlas, Y., V.G. Diker, and S. Polat (eds.). pp. 297-302 (with J.F. Heinbokel). Plenary paper.
1998K-12/Collegiate Collaborations in Systems Education: The Power's in the Feedbacks. Plenary presentation (and publication in the Proceedings) at the 16th International System Dynamics Conference, Quebec City, July 1998. (with J.F. Heinbokel and W. Costello).
1998Blurring the Teacher-Student Boundaries: Teaching System Dynamics Groups. Contributed paper (abstract in the Proceedings) at the 16th International System Dynamics Conference, Quebec City, July 1998. (with W. Costello and J.F. Heinbokel).
1999System Dynamics and Institutional Decision Making. Presentation at Association of American Colleges and Universities, 85th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 28 - 30 January 1999 (with B.W. Bergland and J.F. Heinbokel).
1999Asking Better Questions: Modeling Domestic Violence as a Dynamic Process. American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, November, 1999 (with M. Howell, J.F. Heinbokel, J. Martinez, M. Larson, and M. Hartman.)
2000System Dynamics as a Foundation for a Course on "Sustainable Development.” Plenary presentation and publication in the Proceedings of the 18th International System Dynamics Conference, Bergen, Norway, August 2000. (with J.F. Heinbokel).
2000College Quality, State Standards, and Domestic Violence: Using System Dynamics to Guide Practitioners to "Better Questions.” Contributed paper, published in the Proceedings of the 18th International System Dynamics Conference, Bergen, Norway, August 2000. (with J.F. Heinbokel).
2000 Sustaining System Dynamics Innovations in the K-12 Arena: A Mental Model from a Ten Year Perspective. Contributed paper, published (Abstract) in the Proceedings of the 18th International System Dynamics Conference, Bergen, Norway, August 2000. (with J.F. Heinbokel & W. Costello).
2001Building an Integrated High School Curriculum Focused on the Biology and History of Smallpox. Contributed Paper published (abstract) in the Proceedings of the 19th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Atlanta, GA (with J.F. Heinbokel).
2001 Workshop: Can We Contain a Bioterrorist Smallpox Attack: Engaging Students with System Dynamics and “Real World” Concerns. Workshop presented and abstract published in the Proceedings of the 19th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Atlanta, GA. p. 121. (with J.F. Heinbokel & 8 others).
2001 Workshop: Transforming Campus Systems. Greening the Campus conference, Ball State University, September 2001. (with J.F. Heinbokel & T. Lenski).
2002Modeling nonlinear human dynamics related to the spread of bubonic and pneumonic plague. Presented at MITRE Corporation Open Conference on Mathematical Modeling of the Spread of Selected Bioterrorism Agents, McLean, VA., Mar 2002, (with J.F. Heinbokel).
2002The Future of System Dynamics and Learner-Center Learning in K-12 Education. Contributed Paper published (abstract) in the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Palermo, Italy. (with L. N. Stuntz et al.).
2003Freeze, Fight, or Flee: Behavioral Choices in a Natural Plague Outbreak as a Surrogate for a Bioterrorist Event. Invited presentation at “Modeling Social Responses to Bio-terrorism” Conference, convened by DIMACS (at Rutgers University), Piscataway, NJ, May 2003. (with J.F. Heinbokel)
2003Modeling Human Behavior as a Factor in the Dynamics of an Outbreak of Pneumonic Plague. Contributed Paper, supplemented by structured discussion with L. Frost-Kumpf, K. O’Neill, and R. Levine, published (abstract) in the Proceedings of the 21st International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, New York. (with J.F. Heinbokel).
2004 Using a “Ladder of Engagement” as a Template for Guiding Student Activities with Systems Thinking and Dynamic Modeling. Concluding Keynote Address at the Systems Thinking & Dynamic Modeling conference, Stevenson, WA, July 2004. (with J.F. Heinbokel & R.A. Skiff, Jr.).
2005 Endogenous Human Behaviors in a Pneumonic Plague Simulation: Psychological & Behavioral Theories as Small "generic" Models. Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Boston (with J.F. Heinbokel).
2005 Unleashing the Revolutionary Implications of a System Dynamics “Education” Using a “Ladder of Engagement.” Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Boston (with J.F. Heinbokel).