Lauren Withycombe Keeler, Ph.D.

Visiting Assistant Professor | School for the Future of Innovation in Society Arizona State University |
Interdisciplinary B256 | 1120 S. Cady Mall | Tempe, AZ, USA | 85287-5603
Lauren.Withycombe@asu.edu | c. 480-290-5172 | @femmefutura

Education
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May 14 , 2014 Doctor of Philosophy, Sustainability
School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
Dissertation: Quenching our thirst for future knowledge: Participatory scenario
construction and sustainable water governance in a desert city
August 7th, 2010 Master of Arts, Sustainability
School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
Thesis: Anticipatory competence as a key competence in sustainability education
August 6th, 2007 Bachelor of Arts with University Honors, Spanish
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, Cum Laude

Professional Experience
8/2016 Present Visiting Assistant Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State
University
8/2015 8/2016 Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Nanotechnology in Society, ASU
7/2014 7/2015 Postdoctoral Scientist and Lecturer, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University,
Lneburg, Germany
8/2012 5/2014 Editor in Chief, The Sustainability Review
8/2010 5/2014 Graduate Research Associate, Decision Center for a Desert City, Global Institute of
Sustainability, ASU
1/2012 5/2013 Faculty Associate, School of Sustainability (SOS) and MLF Teachers College, ASU
10/2011 5/2013 Research Associate, Lee Hartwell Education Initiative, ASU
8/2009 12/2012 Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant, SOS, Arizona State University

Research Interests
Foresight The role and impact of sustainability-informed foresight on the responsible innovation of
new technologies; anticipation and reflexivity in social, natural and engineering sciences;
utilizing qualitative and creative scenario devices to interface with simulation models.

Education Problem- and project-based learning in social sciences and engineering; Defining and
building capacity for anticipation and reflexivity in social scientists and engineers;
International education and international university collaboration.

Water Sustainable futures for urban water systems and wastewater systems; innovations in water-
related technologies; sustainable governance of water resources.

Sensors The future of biosensing and connected sensing devices; The Internet of Things and the
future of work, family, health and home. Implications of the previous for sustainability.

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 Publications
Withycombe Keeler L, Wiek A, Lang D, et al. (2016) Utilizing international networks for accelerating research
and learning in transformational sustainability science. Sustainability Science. DOI 10.1007/s11625-016-
0364-6
Withycombe Keeler L, Wiek A, White D, Sampson D. (2015) Linking stakeholder survey, scenario analysis, and
simulation modeling to explore the long-term impacts of regional water governance regimes.
Environmental Science and Policy 48, pp. 237-249.
Withycombe Keeler L, Foley R. (2015) The Monster and the polar bears: Constructing the future knowledge
landscape of synthetic biology to inform responsible innovation. Journal of Responsible Innovation 2(1),
pp. 81-84.
Withycombe Keeler L (2015). What options does Phoenix, Arizona, USA have for averting a California-like water
crisis. Global Water Forum, September 7, 2015. Available at
http://www.globalwaterforum.org/2015/09/07/what-options-does-phoenix-arizona-usa-have-for-
averting-a-california-like-water-crisis/
John B, Withycombe Keeler L, Lang D, Wiek A. (2015) How much sustainability substance is in urban visions?
Cities 48, pp. 86-98.
White DD, Withycombe Keeler L, Wiek A, Larson KL. (2015) Envisioning the future of water governance: A
survey of central Arizona water decision makers. Environmental Practice, 17(01), 25-35.
Wiek A, Withycombe Keeler L, Schweizer V, Lang D (2013) Plausibility indications in future scenarios.
International Journal of Foresight and Innovation Policy 9(2/3/4), 133-147.
Wiek A, Kuzdas C, Foley R, Withycombe Keeler L, Forrest N, Kay B. (2014) Sustainability of water resources,
nanotechnologies, and communities Designing sustainability assessments for impactful outcomes. In:
Gibson, R. (Ed.) Sustainability Assessment Applications and Opportunities. Earthscan, London.
Wiek A, Bernstein M, Foley R, Cohen M, Forrest N, Kuzdas C, Kay B, Withycombe Keeler L. Operationalising
Competencies in Higher Education for Sustainable Development. (2015) In: Barth M, Michelson G,
Rieckmann M, Thomas I (Eds.) Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development. Routledge,
London.
Larson L, Wiek A, Withycombe Keeler L (2012) A comprehensive sustainability appraisal of water in Phoenix,
AZ. Journal of Environmental Management 116, 58-71.
Wiek A, Withycombe L, Redman C (2011) Key competencies in sustainability A reference framework for
academic program development, Sustainability Science 6(2), 203-218.
Wiek A, Withycombe L, Redman C (2011) Moving forward on competence in sustainability research and problem
solving. Environment 53(2), 3-13.

In Review
Wiek AW, Withycombe Keeler L, Kutter R, Robinson J, Moss R (in review) Participatory approaches for
constructing and using climate change scenarios. Global Environmental Change.

In Prep

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Withycombe Keeler L, Wiek A (in prep) Knowing and building the future: Anticipatory competence in
sustainability education. To be submitted to Journal of Cleaner Production.
Withycombe Keeler L, Wiek A (in prep) What if the future is not what we envisioned? Non-intervention
scenarios in transformational sustainability research. To be submitted to Technological Forecasting and
Social Change.

Research Experience
Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Nanotechnology in Society, Arizona State University
2015 - 2016 Lead research efforts to explore the future of (i) environment sensing, water resource
governance and privavy; (ii) personal sensing, individual health monitoring, and the
healthcare system in the US; (iii) air capture technology and climate change mitigation; (iv)
sensors and humans in networking environments.

Postdoctoral Scientist, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lneburg

2014 2015 Conduct research on international partnerships for sustainability research and education.
Help establish the ASU Leuphana Center for Global Sustainability and Cultural
Transformation and the joint masters degree program in sustainability science and complex
adaptive systems. Develop research framework for long-term monitoring of progress on
Sustainable Development Goals as part of Initiative 2042. Conduct research on the future
of health, emerging technologies and sustainability.

Graduate Research Associate, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University
2012 2014 Construct future scenarios of water governance in central Arizona, linking stakeholder
values with WaterSim simulation model.

Graduate Research Assistant, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University
2011 2012 Conduct a large-scale, online survey of water decision-makers in central Arizona, analyze
results.
2010 2011 Conduct actor-based system analysis of water governance in Central Arizona; conduct in-
depth interviews with water decision-makers and analyze results; conduct a sustainability
appraisal of the water system.

Graduate Research Assistant, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University

2009 2010 Conduct literature review and content analysis of key competencies in sustainability
education; develop recommendations for sustainability curricula for undergraduate and
graduate programs.
2008 2009 Conduct literature review and develop a typology of research methods in sustainability
science.

Teaching and Curriculum Development Experience

Fall Courses 2016 Spring Courses 2017
Global Sustainability Studies Seminar The Future of Arizona

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 The American Dream The Future of Family
Sustainability Science for Teachers The Future of Food
The American Dream

Past Courses
School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University
Spring 2016 Course Title: HSD 598: The Future of the American Dream
Develop syllabus and taught weekly courses to 8 graduate students as part of a three-
instructor team. The course engaged students in considering the past, present, and future of
the American Dream by exploring music, art, literature, news media, and social science
around the topic. Students were introduced to interview and scenario methodology,
conducted interviews and constructed scenarios on the future of the American Dream.

Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lneburg

Fall 2014 Course Title: Constructing the Future with Scenario Techniques
Develop the content for and teach undergraduate students from all disciplines on methods
of scenario construction. The course covers the history, and breadth of scenario
construction methodology and teaches students to apply formative scenario analysis and
scenario axis technique.
Spring 2015 Course Title: Applied Graduate Seminar on Local Living Economies
Teach weekly courses to graduate students on local living economies; help students develop
a research plan to conduct future scenarios of a local living economy in Lneburg,
Germany.

School of Sustainability, Arizona State University

Spring 2013 Course Title: SOS 320: Society and Sustainability
As lead instructor, I developed content and taught twice-weekly courses to 60 students in
a required, upper-division course for sustainability majors. As instructor, I taught students
to identify sustainability problems, use cognitive mapping and simple systems models to
analyze sustainability problems, create sustainability visions, and develop viable strategies
to solve problems.

Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University

Spring 2013 and Course Title: SCN 494: Sustainability Science for Elementary Teachers
Fall 2012 Teach future K-8 teachers sustainability fundamentals including systems thinking, futures
thinking, strategic thinking, and values thinking.

School of Engineering, Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya

Summer 2010 Course Title: International Summer School on Sustainable Transportation Development
Lecture students on sustainable urban mobility in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Mentor students
through a week-long scenario construction process focused on sustainable transportation
development.

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Teaching Assistantships
Tutor, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lneburg
Fall 2014 Course Title: Inter- and Trans-disciplinary Methods
Teach weekly seminars (breakout groups of 60 students from the larger lecture) in which
students learn to apply inter- and trans-disciplinary methods to an exemplary case study.
Teach lectures to the full class (150 students) on problem framing and analysis and scenario
construction.

Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lneburg

Summer 2012 and Course Title: Complex Problem Solving for Business
Summer 2011 Design course content, lecture and grade assignments.

Teaching Assistant, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University

Spring 2012 Course Title: SOS 320 Society and Sustainability
Assisted in the design of lesson plans, assignments, activities, and in the evaluation of
student performance.
2009 2012 Course Title: SOS 511: Sustainability Methodology
Designed lesson plans and assignments; taught classes on participatory research, scenario
analysis and visioning; assisted in the evaluation of student performance.

Curriculum Development
Research Associate, Center for Sustainable Health, Hartwell Education Initiative, Arizona State
University
2011 2013 Developed course content and assignments for a hybrid online-lecture course for future K-
8 teachers; presented complex scientific information through engaging videos and
compelling stories of sustainability problems and solutions.

Visiting Scholar, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lneburg

Spring 2012 Expanded collaboration between Leuphana University and Arizona State University;
helped develop The Global Classroom, a distributed course on transdisciplinary
sustainability for undergraduates from ASU and Leuphana.

Service and Leadership

Editor in Chief, The Sustainability Review
2012 2014 Under my direction The Sustainability Review, a graduate student-run publication from
the School of Sustainability was rebranded and re-launched as a video-based peer-reviewed,
academic journal. Through my leadership The Sustainability Review secured a $30,200
grant from the Women in Philanthropy Foundation to fund the transition to video-based
publishing. Responsibilities: develop the concept and write the strategic plan for the
transition to video publishing, fundraise, manage editorial staff, work with researchers to
design, produce and publish sustainability research in compelling, informative videos.

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Student Leader, Community of Graduate Scholars, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State
University
2012 2013 Coordinate meetings of the community of graduate scholars, the organization of graduate
research assistants working at the Decision Center for a Desert City; organize the annual
poster symposium at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference;
and coordinate the COGS interdisciplinary research project.

Founding Member and Facilitator, Sustainability Transition and Intervention Research Lab, School of
Sustainability, Arizona State University
2010 2014 Develop our research portfolio, including advising the lab chair, in the selection of students
to invite into the lab, as well as the selection and prioritization research projects undertaken
by the lab, set the agenda, and facilitate bi-weekly lab meetings.

Member, Graduates in Integrative Social and Ecological Research (GISER), Arizona State University
2009 2014 Attend meetings, discuss research projects and proposals, take part in workshops, reflect on
research approaches and questions that arise from different fields conducting social-
ecological research.

Grants, Scholarships, and Awards

Women and Philanthropy Grant
2013 Award Amount: $30,200
Grant Title: The Sustainability Review: Sharing Sustainability Science with the World

Leuphana Scholarship
2012 Award amount: $2645.00

Decision Center for a Desert City Student Leader

2012 Award Amount: $2000.00

ASU Presidents Award for Sustainability

2015 Project Title: Sustainability Science Education Project
2011 Project Title: The Future of Phoenix: Crafting Sustainable Development Strategies

Student Mentoring
Mentor, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lneburg
2014 Initiative 2042
Oversee the research of two PhD students working on the 2042 initiative. Be the primary
point of contact for their methodological questions and work with them to align their
research with the Initiative.
2014 Institute for Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research

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 Mentor and oversee the work of an undergraduate student as she conducts preliminary
research on topics related to my research on sustainability and the future of health systems.

Mentor, School of Sustainability and Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University
2012 2013 Oversee research conducted by undergraduate research assistant John Quinn.
2011 2012 Oversee research conducted by undergraduate research assistant Kendon Jung.
2010 2011 Oversee research conducted by undergraduate research assistant Danielle Schaffer.

Faculty Mentor, Barrett Honors College, Arizona State University

Spring 2013 Mentor two honors students from the Barrett Honors College in the completion of
additional honors coursework.

Presentations, Panels, and Workshops

Withycombe Keeler L (2016). The Future of Air Capture Technology. Workshop Coordination and Lead. Arizona
State University, Tempe, AZ, April 26 28.
Withycombe Keeler L (2015). The Future of Wastewater Sensing. Workshop Coordination and Lead. Arizona
State University, Tempe, AZ, November 2 3.
Withycombe Keeler L (2015). The Future of Health Monitoring and Pre-symptomatic Medicine. Workshop
Coordination and Lead. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, October 26 27.
Withycombe Keeler L and Harlow J.C. (2015). Anticipatory Governance of Autonomous Vehicles. Presentation.
Society for the Study of Nano and Emerging Technologies Conference, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, October
18 22.
Withycombe Keeler L (2015). City-Region Sustainability Transition Labs. Workshop of the International
Network of Programs in Sustainability. Workshop Coordination and Lead. Leuphana University Lneburg,
Lneburg, Germany, March 24 25.
Withycombe Keeler L and Foley R.W. (2015). Cities, innovation, and the future of health. Presentation.
Assembling Cities Conference, Zrich, Switzerland. January 21-22.
Withycombe Keeler L (2014). Anticipation, Analogies, and Responsible Innovation. Presentation. Society for the
Study of Nano and Emerging Technologies Conference, Karlsruhe, Germany, September 21 23.
Wiek A, Withycombe Keeler L (2014). Incorporating sustainability competencies into undergraduate education
programs. Invited Workshop. Tec de Monterrey, Mexico City, Mexico, January 9-10.
Withycombe Keeler L (2012). Pragmatic criteria for assessing the plausibility of future scenarios: A case study of
value-based future scenarios of water in central Arizona. Invited Presentation. Ethics, Plausibility, and
Innovation Workshop, European Union Jointe Research Centre, Ispra, Italy, May 12-13.
Sheppard S, Robinson J, Hulme M, Moss R, Withycombe Keeler L, Wiek A (2012) Beyond Climate Models:
Rethinking how to envision the future with climate change. Workshop American Association for the
Advancement of Science conference, Vancouver, BC, February 16-20.
Withycombe L, Wiek A, Kay B (2011) Operationalizing urban sustainability transitions with transformative
governance: Results from participatory sustainability transition planning and proposed research agenda for
implementation. Paper Presentation, International Conference on Sustainability Science, June 13-15, 2011,
Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

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Withycombe L, Mercer C (2011) A framework for building key determinants of adaptive capacity through
anticipatory learning and anticipatory governance. Paper Presentation, Resilience 2011 Conference, March
11-16, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
Wiek A, Withycombe L, Banas-Mills S (2010) Key competencies in sustainability science, Special Session, AAAS
Conference, February 18-21, 2010, San Diego, CA, USA.
Wiek A, Withycombe L, (2009) Core competence in sustainability science: What does the literature say?
Workshop, The 8th Ball State University/AASHE Greening of the Campus Conference, September 21, 2009,
Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Invited Public Presentations

Withycombe Keeler L, Kay B, Foley R (2012) Presentation to the Board of Directors of the Global Institute of
Sustainability. Invited Presentation. Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, February 20.
Withycombe L, Wiek A, Kay B, Gomes T (2010) Anticipatory governance in phoenix, Presentation, Sustainable
Cities Network Conference, October 20, 2010, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Poster Presentations
Withycombe Keeler, L., A. Wiek, D. White, R. Quay, and D. Sampson (2014) Linking stakeholder survey, scenario
construction, and simulation modeling to explore long-term impacts of regional water governance regimes.
Decision Center for a Desert City Annual Poster Symposium, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, April 28.
Withycombe Keeler L, Wiek A, White D, Quinn J (2013) Quenching our Thirst: Future scenarios of water in
Phoenix. American Association for the Advancement of Science conference, Boston, MA, February 15-18.
Bausch, J.C., J. Rice, J. Rosales Chavez, L. Withycombe Keeler, R. Krishnamurthy, R. Neel, J. Cazres Rodriguez,
V.K. Turner, and M. Vijayakumar (2013) Using structured discussions to explore cross-cutting themes in
research at the Decision Center for a Desert City. Decision Center for a Desert City Annual Poster
Symposium, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, May 1.
Quinn J, White D, Withycombe Keeler L, Wiek A (2013). The future of water in the desert: Convergence and
divergence between decision makers and students. American Association for the Advancement of
Science conference, Boston, MA, February 15-18.
Withycombe Keeler L (2012) Value-based scenarios of water governance and use in Central Arizona: Possible
pathways for future development. American Association for the Advancement of Science conference,
Vancouver, BC, February 16-20.
Withycombe Keeler L, Wiek A, White D, Larson K, Jung K (2012) Envisioning water futures in the greater
Phoenix area: What do we want the future to look like? Decision Center for a Desert City Annual Poster
Symposium, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, April 25.
White D, Withycombe Keeler L (2011) WaterSIM: Research on water sustainability and urban climate adaptation
at the Decision Center for a Desert City. Which hazards are in your backyard? Congressional Hazards Caucus,
Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. September 7.
Withycombe L, Shaffer D (2011) Toward developing a sustainability vision for the water system in Central
Arizona-Phoenix. American Association for the Advancement of Science Conference, Washington D.C.,
February 22.

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Withycombe L (2011) A comprehensive approach to developing a sustainability vision for the greater Phoenix
area. Decision Center for a Desert City Annual Poster Symposium, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ,
April 25.

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