Leadership
Benjamin Freakley
Executive director
Special advisor to the president, Arizona State University; Retired lieutenant general, U.S. Army
Jon Miller
Director
Leads efforts to model, simulate, and visualize complex problems leading to informed policy discussions and the ability to forecast the outcomes of policy decisions through better problem understanding.
Rahul Salla
Technical director
Oversees a diverse team of technical experts and is responsible for the Complex Systems Framework, a unique web-based tool that integrates disparate models to address complex problems.
Team
Ashish Amresh
Research scientist
Research Scientist at the Center for Human, AI and Robot Teaming and the Decision Theater. Conducted research in the development of Serious Games and led the Computer Gaming initiatives at ASU.
Chelsea Dickson
Project coordinator
Strong believer in ASU's charter of inclusivity, social-embeddedness, service, and research for public value and the overall health of our communities.
DeAnn Fedyski
Project coordinator
Over 30 years of experience in project management, event planning, & non-profit management. Extensive experience coordinating people & processes in education, tech, & healthcare industries.
Ramesh Gorantla
Software development lead
Works with researchers and stakeholders involved in complex social systems to engineer user-friendly applications that integrate computational modeling and big data analytics for real world problems.
Ana Hernandez
Graphic designer
Specializes in building data visualizations and designs user interfaces for Decision Theater decision- support models. Also creates visual graphics for proposals, print, web, and marketing materials.
Margaret Hinrichs
Faculty affiliate
PhD, Organizational Communications, Arizona State University, MA, Communication, Saint Louis University, BJ, Journalism, University of Missouri.
Keren Hirsch
Project manager
Oversees the Project Management and Operations Teams at Decision Theater. Provides support, planning and management to DT projects.
Erik Johnston
Faculty affiliate, Director of policy informatics
Professor with the School for the Future of Innovation in Society where he is also the Chair of the Ph.D. program in Human and Social Dimensions in Science and Technology.
Victoria McDonald
Research analyst
Leads rapid data visualization unit, provides contextual and background research to frame useful decision-support tools, and services as a liaison between subject matter and the software tean.
Pranathi Pantham
Research Technologist
Passionate Software Engineer, who loves to apply innovative software solutions to complex real-world requirements.
Shade Shutters
Faculty affiliate
Complex systems scientist fusing data science, evolutionary theory, and a complex systems framework to study the world's most intractable problems.
Holly Smith
Scheduling and project coordinator
Organizes events at Decision Theater, manages HR activities and contributes to proposal development and communications efforts.
Erzhena Soktoeva
UX design lead
Designs interactive web applications with and for scientists and policymakers to help solve complex problems.
Vipin Verma
Assistant Research Scientist
Assistant Research Scientist at the Global Futures Laboratory at ASU. Develops serious games and software applications for research at ASU.
Fangwu Wei
Assistant research scientist, data scientist
Conducts research work by employing machine learning, statistical analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis, data visualization, and prototype development.
Matthew Weideman
Systems analyst
Oversees the technology team & AV systems in Tempe, AZ and Washington, DC Decision Theaters. Prior to joining the team, he worked for BLS leading IT infrastructure upgrade projects.
Contact Us
Decision Theater Arizona
21 E. 6th Street, Suite 126A
Tempe, AZ 85281
Decision Theater Washington, D.C.
1800 I Street NW
Washington, D.C.
Phone: 202-601-4330