Harold G. Nelson, Ph.D., M. Arch., RA

Dr. Harold Nelson graduated with distinction from the University of California at Berkeley with a Ph.D. in Social Systems Design. He designed his doctoral program within the Ad Hoc Ph.D. program, administered by the Dean of Graduate Studies. His dissertation focused on a systems approach to the impact on rural communities of large-scale resource development projects with an emphasis on value assessment. His teacher and mentor at Berkeley was C. West Churchman PhD (systems philosophy). In addition to Prof. Churchman his degree committee consisted of Len Duhl, MD (urban psychology), Mike Hayman LLD (law and UC Chancellor), Arnie Schultz, PhD (ecology) and Joe Esherick RA (architecture).

He received his Master of Architecture degree from the University of California at Berkeley as well. Prior to that, upon receiving his Bachelor of Architecture from Montana State University, Dr. Nelson studied in Finland on a Scholastic Scholarship, becoming a Fulbright Alternate.

Dr. Nelson is past-president (President's Address) of the International Society for Systems Science and is president and co-founder of the Advanced Design Institute. He is presently working as an organizational systems design and education consultant for non-profit and for-profit organizations. His focus is on leadership development based on systems thinking and advanced design theory. He is working extensively with Dr. Erik Stolterman in research on advanced design topics and has co-authoring a book with him on The Design Way.

For over twelve years Dr. Nelson was the Director of the Graduate Programs in Whole Systems Design (WSD) at Antioch University. Under his leadership the programs became nationally recognized in the field of systems design. One program was ranked among the top graduate programs in Organizational Development in the United States. The student population consisted of adult students, primarily in mid-career or engaged in career changes.

He has worked with diverse organizations including non-profits and corporations, state and federal agencies, foreign governments and the United Nations. Dr. Nelson has made presentations, and facilitated workshops on a variety of topics including; leadership
development, complex systems design, creativity and systems thinking. He has worked as a researcher, consultant and university educator in design and systems science. He has consulted or taught in countries as diverse as; Chile, Turkey, Finland, Indonesia, and Australia.

Currently, Dr. Nelson is a member of the Systems Renewal Institute’s Learning Resource Council and is a past member of the Design Research Society.

Prior to his work in the fields of organizational systems design, leadership development and educational systems design, Dr. Nelson, a licensed architect in the State of California, worked as a practicing architect in private practice and as an assistant regional architect for region V of the U.S. Forest Service,