26 March 2026 11:00AM EST
Title:The Foundations of Systems Thinking: Tools for Navigating Complexity
Abstract: Learn what Systems Thinking is; why we need it to meet today’s challenges; and how to become a systems thinker. Discover that the root of complex ideas and wicked problems is their underlying structure, which can be simple to understand; and apply simple ideas to real-world case applications.
Biography:
Dr. Laura Cabrera (B.S., M.P.A., Ph.D., Cornell) is the Board Chair and Professor at the Systems Thinking Standards Institute (STSI)™, where she leads the development of global systems thinking standards. She is also Co-Founder and CEO of Cabrera Research Lab and a professor at Cornell University. With over 25 years of experience in research and education, Dr. Cabrera has contributed extensively to public policy, systems science, and practical applications of systems thinking. She is the co-author of six books, including Connect the Dots and Systems Thinking Made Simple, and serves as co-editor of the Journal of Systems Thinking.
Professor Derek Cabrera, PhD (Cornell), is a systems scientist and cognitive scientist. Cabrera is a member of the faculty at Cornell University and Faculty Director for the Graduate Certification Program in Systems Thinking, Modeling, and Leadership (STML). He oversees the world’s largest Systems Thinking Conference at Cornell and is co-host of the Cabrera Lab Podcast, currently in the top 1% of all podcasts worldwide. In 2021, he was inducted into the International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences (IASCYS) for his outstanding contributions to the field. In 2025, he was elected Secretary General of IASCYS.Derek discovered DSRP Theory, the foundation of Systems thinking science today. Professor Cabrera is on the faculty of Cabrera Lab and Cornell University. He directs the scientific architecture, evidence base, and engineering of the tools that power STSI’s protocols and assessments. He is Co-host of the #1 systems thinking podcast, The Cabrera Lab Podcast.