Alumni Story – James Torrence
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is James Torrence and I’m an Army Signal Corps Officer.
Where are you originally from?
Montgomery Village, Maryland
What year did you graduate from the MS SDM program?
2018
What project/job/event/research are you currently working on? Please tell us a little about the impetus, content and expected impact of this work.
I currently attend the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. I was selected for promotion to Major during my time at Parsons, and now I work with other military officers from all over the world (over 90 countries) to solve complex problems in preparation for conducting real-world operations. We spend one year at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, and then we all disperse to locations throughout the globe to lead men and women in military organizations.
In what ways did the work/research you did at Parsons prepare you for that transition and the work you’re doing now?
My work at Parsons made me a better thinker. Using empathy, user-centered problem- solving and creative thinking gives me a different frame of reference when approaching complex problems. I recently wrote a chapter as part of a special study on the use of drones in combat. My focus was on solutions for soldiers on the ground to combat weaponized drones. I used interviews, case studies and stories from soldiers in combat to develop a methodology for defeating enemy drone attacks. I would not have developed such a holistic approach to countering enemy drones if it had not been for my study at Parsons.
I also recently published a series of articles on cybersecurity. The genesis for my papers on cybersecurity originated during my time at Parsons where I approached cybersecurity from the end-user perspective to understand how to integrate an educational approach into the user’s daily life as opposed to adding more work to a user’s busy schedule.
How has the MS SDM program challenged you to grow as a Strategic Designer?
The MS SDM program made me grow not only as a designer, but as a thinker and strategist. In the military, I am often faced with complex problems that have no easy solutions. When faced with complex problems, emergent practices and innovation are necessary. The MS SDM program gave me the tools to operate in a VUCA environment where no standard solutions exist.
If you were to give one piece of advice to current students, what would it be?
MS SDM will not make you a better designer, strategist or leader. MS SDM will provide you the tools you need to succeed and better yourself as a professional. To see true improvements in your profession, you must read about and practice the concepts introduced in the MS SDM program. During my time in the program I often read 1, if not 2 books a week in fields related to design thinking and my independent research to augment the instruction we had in class. Reading and continued learning outside the classroom is a must for future success.
What book are you reading right now?
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James’ most recent article, titled “The Strategic Defense Initiative and Cybersecurity”, won 1st place in the National Essay Contest sponsored by The Society for Military History for Graduate Work in Applied Military History.