Peter C. Bishop

Associate Professor

Future Studies

Human Development and Consumer Science

Contact Information

Biography

Dr. Peter Bishop is an Associate Professor of Strategic Foresight and Coordinator of the graduate program in Futures Studies at the University of Houston. Dr. Bishop specializes in techniques for long term forecasting and planning. He delivers keynote addresses and conducts seminars on the future for business, government and not-for-profit organizations. He also facilitates groups in developing scenarios, visions and strategic plans for the future. Dr. Bishop's clients include IBM, the NASA Johnson Space Center, Nestle USA, the Texas Department of Transportation, Tetra Pak, the Shell Pipeline Corporation, the Defense and Central Intelligence Agencies, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Waitt Family Foundation, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the Center for Houston's Future. Dr. Bishop is also a founding board member of the new Association of Professional Futurists, and he is President of his own firm, Strategic Foresight and Development, which offers education and training in futures thinking and techniques to the corporate market.

Dr. Bishop came to the University of Houston in 2005, having taught futures studies at the Clear Lake campus since 1982. Dr. Bishop started teaching at Georgia Southern College in 1973 where he specialized in social problems and political sociology. He received his doctoral degree in sociology from Michigan State University in 1974. Dr. Bishop received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. Louis University where he also studied mathematics and physics. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri where he was a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) for seven years. Dr. Bishop is married with two children and four grandchildren.

Education

• B.A. Philosophy, St. Louis University, 1968
• M.A. Sociology, Michigan State University, 1971
• Ph.D. Sociology, Michigan State University, 1974

Subjects Taught

• Introduction to Futures Studies
• Social Change
• Systems Thinking
• Futures Research
• Strategic Planning
• World Futures
• Proseminar in Futures Studies
• The Futures of...
  • Biotechnology (2006)
  • Energy and the Environment (2007)
  • the United States (2008)

Research Interests

• Futures theory and methodology
• Long Waves of technology development
• Education, Energy, Climate change, Transportation
• Epistemology, Philosophy of science, Critical thinking

Honors and Awards

Professional Activities

• University teaching
• Futures education and consulting
• Team and network facilitation (scenario development, visioning and strategic planning)
• Applied futures research

Professional Experience

• Coordinator, Graduate Program in Futures Studies, University of Houston, 2005-present
• Chair, Graduate Program in Studies of the Future, UH-Clear Lake, 1983-96, 98-05
• Executive Director, Institute for Futures Research, UH-Clear Lake, 1990-2005
• President, Strategic Foresight and Development, 2001-present
• Founding Board Member, Association of Professional Futurists, 2001-present
• Planning officer, NASA MidContinent Technology Transfer Center, 1992-96
• Founder and Director, Space Business Research Center, 1986-1990
• Founding member, UHCL Research Institute for Computing and Information Sciences, 1985-92
• Founder and First President, TX Council of Faculty Governance Organizations, 1978-1981

Research Interests

• Quantitative Futures Research, Using Systems Approaches, World Futures
• Social Change, Theories of Society
• Our Future in Space, Future of Biotechnology, Future of Energy and the Environment
• Philosophy of Science, Research Methods and Statistics