Donald R. Searing, Ph.D.

CEO and Principal Scientist

Publications / Presentations

Ethics (Engineering, Economics)

  • Practicing Professional Ethics in Economics and Public Policy, Elizabeth A.M. Searing and Donald R. Searing, Springer, 2014.
  • Panelist on the "Ethics and Pervasive ICT Panel" at 2014 IEEE International Symposium on Ethics in Engineering, Science, and Technology, Chicago, IL, May 23-24, 2014.
  • Member of author panel for "Author Meets The Critics: Ethical Guidance for Emerging Pervasive Information and Communication Technologies (PICT): Challenges, Opportunities, and Safeguards" at the 2014 Association of Practical and Professional Ethics Annual Meeting, Jacksonville, FL, February 27 – March 1, 2014.
  • “Chapter 2: Three Case Studies” in Ethical Guidance for Emerging Pervasive Information and Communication Technologies (PICT): Challenges, Opportunities, and Safeguards, edited by K.Pimple, Springer, 2014.
  • “A Creator’s Ethics, Beyond Engineering Ethics in the Design of Autonomous Systems” presented at the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, Cincinnati, OH, 2012.
  • “Playing the Market Good or Well?: The Ethical Implications of the “Flash Crash” case study with Elizabeth A.M. Searing, presented at the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, Cincinnati, OH, 2011.
  • “An Engineer’s Critique of Mass Surveillance and State Control by Elliot D. Cohen,” presented at the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, Cincinnati, OH, 2011.
  • “Teaching Ethics in PAIT (Pervasive and Autonomous Information Technology): An Engineer’s Response” presented at the PAIT Workshop at the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, Cincinnati, OH, 2010.
  • Using Problem Solving Techniques from Other Domains in the Engineering Design Process 2000, Texas A&M University.
  • Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases (2nd Edition) CD-ROM 1999, Wadsworth Publishing.
  • “Using Technology to Teach Ethics” paper presented at the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Association for Practical and Applied Ethics, Crystal City, VA, 1999.
  • “The Role of Ethics in Design” presented to graduate seminar at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 1999.
  • “Using Ethos System to Solve Ethical Problems” presented as the Bovay/Chevron Invited Industrial Lecturer, Texas A&M University, 1999.
  • HARPS Ethical Analysis Methodology: Method Description, 1998, Taknosys Software Corporation
  • “Ethics in Product Design” with Michael Rabins in Mechatronics in Engineering Design and Product Development, edited by D. Popovic and L. Vlacic, Marcel Dekker, 1998.

Artificial Intelligence

  • “Lessons Learned- Practical Tips for Integrating BREs in a SOA-environment- An Automated Underwriting Example” with James Mills, presented at the 11th International Business Rules Forum, Orlando, FL, 2008.
  • Business Rules Management System Implementation- Flexible BRMS Integration Lessons Learned whitepaper, 2009, Colibrium Partners, LLC, Atlanta, GA.
  • Business Rules Management System Implementation- Rules Development Lessons Learned whitepaper with James Mills, 2009, Colibrium Partners, LLC, Atlanta, GA.

Education

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering (Design Theory), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 2000

  • Dissertation: Using Problem Solving Techniques from Other Domains in the Engineering Design Process
  • Hertz Foundation Fellow
  • Awarded National Science Foundation Fellowship

B.S. Mechanical Engineering (Systems and Controls), 1994, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

  • Summa Cum Laude
  • University Undergraduate Fellow
  • University and Foundation Honors
  • Lechner Scholar, Engineering Scholar's Program
  • National Merit Scholar

Professional Organizations

Professional Experience

Syncere Systems, LLC

  • CEO & Principal Scientist- 2009 - present

D2SM Enterprises, LLC

  • Founder / Chief Technical Officer- 2016 - present

HGS Colibrium, LLC (previously Colibrium Partners, LLC)

  • Senior Director of Product Development & Evangelism / Lead Solutions Architect- 2012 - present
  • Managing Consultant, Product Development & Lead Architect- 2009 - 2012
  • Managing Consultant, Technical Consulting- 2005 - 2009

Connecture, Inc

  • Manager of Solution Architecture/ Lead Technical Architect- 2004 - 2005
  • Senior Developer/Technical Lead- 2003 - 2004

Primen, Inc

  • Manager of Applications Development/ Lead Architect- 2000 - 2003

Taknosys Software Corporation (previously Taknosys Software)

  • President / Chief Knowledge Officer- 1997 - 2000

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

  • Senior Teaching Assistant / Lecturer- 1994 - 2000

Teaching Experience

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

  • MEEN 445/446- Mechanical Engineering Design II/III- Senior Capstone Design- This two-semester course utilized industry and government agency-based projects to give senior mechanical engineering students experience in the full engineering design process from problem decomposition to design and even manufacturing of the solution. More details can be found here: https://engineering.tamu.edu/mechanical/capstone-design.
  • ENGR 482- Ethics and Engineering- This course taught techniques of moral analysis and their application to ethical problems encountered by engineers.
  • MEEN 334- Mechanical Systems I- This course taught modeling and analysis of dynamic systems using classical techniques, formulation and solution of systems equations, and introduction to instrumentation and data acquisition.