Title: Research Systems Scientist
Company: HDS Natural Systems Design Science
Location: New York, New York, United States
Jessie Lydia Henshaw, Research Systems Scientist at HDS Natural Systems Design Science, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Research and Development.
Ms. Henshaw, a seasoned researcher, has been self-employed as the founder of HDS Natural Systems Design Science in New York since 1977. A small center designed for research and consulting, HDS focuses on patterns of organization and design found in studying natural systems. Among many responsibilities, Ms. Henshaw conducts research, writes reports and delivers them in meetings. She also connects with other leading professionals online and manages a course.
Having begun her professional career in 1984, Ms. Henshaw was a forensic analyst at Sverdrup Engineering Services. The Arizona-based company provides engineering and consulting services for renewable energy, industrial, utility and commercial clients. Subsequently, Ms. Henshaw enjoyed a 25-year tenure as an architect in New York with several leading firms between 1985 and 2010. Her most notable projects included reviving an 1890 Opera House in New York, bringing together people and grants to renovate the rural opera house. She was also instrumental in designing a major expansion of a small street in Denver.
Among other professional ventures, Ms. Henshaw succeeded as a representative and science adviser for the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals between 2012 and 2016. She then joined a UN Environment Programme-FI and World Resources Institute team, where she consulted on developing CO2 impact standards for the financial community.
Possessing a rich educational background, Ms. Henshaw received a Bachelor of Science in physics, mathematics, fine arts and Russian studies at Saint Lawrence University in 1968. She also completed a graduate course in Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem at Stony Brook University from 1968 to 1969 and additional graduate courses in topology and architecture at Columbia University between 1969 and 1970. Furthermore, Ms. Henshaw earned a Master of Fine Art in architecture and landscape design from the University of Pennsylvania in 1974. Highly qualified, she became a registered architect in New York in 1993 and completed the (re)Biz workshop in 2023.
As part of her continued success and relevancy in her field, Ms. Henshaw has been a member of the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) as a SIG chair since 2023. She has also given back as a Hillside Group pattern language resource and meetings sponsor since 2015. Previously, Ms. Henshaw was a non-governmental organization representative for UN agency panels with the Institute for Planetary Synthesis from 2012 to 2015.
As a seasoned researcher, Ms. Henshaw has authored numerous scholarly articles through ISSS. She also contributed “Systems Energy Assessment” in 2011 and “Papers on the Patterns of Design and Transformation in Natural Systems” in 2015 and has her own YouTube channel.
In light of her success, Ms. Henshaw received several accolades, including The Best Architect of the Year Award from the University of Pennsylvania in 1974. That same year, she received an Award for Excellence in Building Structures and Systems from the university’s department of architecture on campus. Additionally, Ms. Henshaw was honored with a Best Paper of the Year Award for Systems Energy Assessment from MDPI Publishing House in 2011.
Beyond her accolades, Ms. Henshaw is grateful for her success in adapting to one of the world’s most significant research projects. Although she was not formally trained as a scientist, she fostered an open-minded approach that proved to be a valuable learning experience. One research topic that particularly resonated with Ms. Henshaw was the realization that science often overlooked the study of natural behavior. In the years to come, she hopes to remain inspired by her work and leave a legacy recognizing her success and contributions.
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