Barry Richmond
Encyclopedia
Barry Richmond was an American systems scientist, and former managing director of High Performance Systems, Inc (HPS), an organization providing software and consulting services to build the capacity of people to understand and improve the workings of dynamic systems. He is known as leader in the field of systems thinking
and system dynamics
and for the development of the STELLA/IThink modelling environment for simulation
.
from Syracuse University
, an MBA from Columbia University
, an MA in operations research
from Case Western Reserve University
, and in 1979 a PhD in system dynamics
from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, where he was a graduate student of Jay Wright Forrester
. At the MIT Sloan School of Management Richmond became intrigued with the possibilities of creating a software package to promote modeling and simulation activities using the new Macintosh computer produced by Apple.
Richmond taught courses in systems dynamics in the graduate school of engineering at Northeastern University, before becoming an assistant professor of systems dynamics and an Engineering Professor at Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College
. In 1984 he founded High Performance Systems, Inc (HPS), in 2004 renamed to ISEE Systems, and was CEO until his death in 2002. Richmond has also been an associate editor of the journal "Systems dynamics" and "Simulation".
In 2007 the ISEE Systems established the "Barry Richmond Scholarship Award" to honor and continue the legacy of its founder. The award is presented annually to a deserving Systems Thinking/System Dynamics practitioner whose work demonstrates a desire to expand the field or to apply it to current social issues.
Articles, a selection:
Systems thinking
Systems thinking is the process of understanding how things influence one another within a whole. In nature, systems thinking examples include ecosystems in which various elements such as air, water, movement, plants, and animals work together to survive or perish...
and system dynamics
System dynamics
System dynamics is an approach to understanding the behaviour of complex systems over time. It deals with internal feedback loops and time delays that affect the behaviour of the entire system. What makes using system dynamics different from other approaches to studying complex systems is the use...
and for the development of the STELLA/IThink modelling environment for simulation
Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
.
Biography
Richmond received a BA in psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, an MBA from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, an MA in operations research
Operations research
Operations research is an interdisciplinary mathematical science that focuses on the effective use of technology by organizations...
from Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
, and in 1979 a PhD in system dynamics
System dynamics
System dynamics is an approach to understanding the behaviour of complex systems over time. It deals with internal feedback loops and time delays that affect the behaviour of the entire system. What makes using system dynamics different from other approaches to studying complex systems is the use...
from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, where he was a graduate student of Jay Wright Forrester
Jay Wright Forrester
Jay Wright Forrester is a pioneer American computer engineer, systems scientist and was a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Forrester is known as the founder of System Dynamics, which deals with the simulation of interactions between objects in dynamic systems.- Biography :Forrester...
. At the MIT Sloan School of Management Richmond became intrigued with the possibilities of creating a software package to promote modeling and simulation activities using the new Macintosh computer produced by Apple.
Richmond taught courses in systems dynamics in the graduate school of engineering at Northeastern University, before becoming an assistant professor of systems dynamics and an Engineering Professor at Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
. In 1984 he founded High Performance Systems, Inc (HPS), in 2004 renamed to ISEE Systems, and was CEO until his death in 2002. Richmond has also been an associate editor of the journal "Systems dynamics" and "Simulation".
In 2007 the ISEE Systems established the "Barry Richmond Scholarship Award" to honor and continue the legacy of its founder. The award is presented annually to a deserving Systems Thinking/System Dynamics practitioner whose work demonstrates a desire to expand the field or to apply it to current social issues.
Publications
Richmond has published several books, papers and articles. A selection:- 1987. An Academic User's Guide to Stella Software. With Steve Peterson, Peter Vescuso and Nancy Maville. High Performance Systems.
- 1987. The Simulation of an Arts Organization in STELLA TM. With Michael A Moldaver. Thayer School of Engineering.
- 1987. The Strategic Forum: From Vision to Strategy to Operating Policies and Back Again. High Performance Systems, 1987.
- 1992. An Introduction to Systems Thinking: Ithink Software. With Steve Peterson and Chris Charyk. High Performance Systems.
- 2000. The "thinking" in systems thinking: Seven Essential Skills. Pegasus Communications. ISBN 188382348X
- 2006. Guns at School: A Systems Thinking Perspective. ISEE Systems, 2006
Articles, a selection:
- 1993. "Systems thinking: critical thinking skills for the 1990s and beyond" in: System Dynamics Review Volume 9 Number 2 Summer 1993.
Further reading
- Diana M. Fisher and Lees Stuntz (2003). "Barry Richmond’s Gifts to K–12 Education". Paper System dynamics conference 2003.
- Jay W. Forrester (2001). "A Guide to Learning System Dynamics". System Dynamics in Education Project.
- Steve Peterson (2003). "Barry Richmond, System Dynamics and Public Policy". Paper System dynamics conference 2003.