Dr. John P. Thomas
Dr. John P. Thomas began his career over 20 years ago working in industry for aerospace, automotive, military, and defense organizations. His work on large complex systems includes system engineering, software engineering, hardware engineering, and expert facilitation for hazard analysis, cybersecurity analysis, and similar techniques. He now works in the aeronautics and astronautics department at MIT where his research focuses on studying engineering mistakes and using STAMP to develop the next generation of engineering and analysis methods. These include techniques for hazard analysis, safety-driven design, requirements engineering, analyzing human-automation interactions, generating formal requirements for software-intensive systems, anticipating overlooked feature interactions, and others. He also serves on international standards committees to author and revise the most popular safety and security standards used globally throughout automotive, aerospace, and other industries as they strive to incorporate more effective and streamlined approaches.
Dr. Thomas collaborates extensively with large and small organizations across aviation, automotive, defense, oil & gas, nuclear, chemical, medical, and others as they pilot and adopt these next-generation techniques. He is an expert facilitator and trainer for STAMP-based approaches like STPA, and supports organizations as they build self-sustaining in-house expertise in STAMP / STPA.
Marc Nance
Marc Nance is an aerospace executive with 35 years of global industry and government experience. His background includes program management, systems, software and safety engineering around the globe in the development, deployment and operation of complex systems. His experience includes aircraft, space systems, communication, avionics and autonomous systems. Marc excels at developing and executing strategic plans for STAMP and STPA deployment across numerous domains including aviation, space, automotive and autonomous systems. He also has worked with regulatory agencies in application of novel approaches that ensure public safety. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Washington.
Lori Smith
Lori Smith is a Systems Engineer with 23 years of experience in a major aerospace company. For the last nine years she has teamed with Dr. Leveson to use STAMP in broader, systems engineering applications of STPA including the concept development phase on three new military programs. She has also conducted STPA analysis on robotic systems, automated ground vehicle systems, production systems, supply chain systems and organizational systems. Lori has been awarded a Patent by the U.S. Patent office for her STPA work on the automated ground systems. She believes STPA yields rich insights that reduces the cost of system development as well as finding system anomalies in existing systems. She holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Washington and holds graduate degree in engineering with a Systems Engineering emphasis.
Phil Specht
Phil Specht is a Production Engineer with 34 years of experience developing production systems in several major aerospace companies. For the last five years he has teamed with Dr. Leveson to use STAMP and STPA in broad system engineering applications, from product development to the production and supply chain systems. Applications include commercial and military aircraft, rotorcrafts, satellites, space and autonomous systems. Phil has been awarded 3 US Patents (2 in product development and 1 in safety). He believes that the application of STPA will revolutionize safety, quality and efficiency in any product. He holds an undergraduate degree in science from Biola University and a masters from Talbot.