At Autodesk, we are always listening to customers and opportunities to improve based on the feedback. One opportunity for bring the outside signals in where we bring people from outside of Autodesk into Autodesk for a limited time as a Visiting Fellow. We have done this successfully for several years in my team within the Office of the CTO and now named Strategic Foresight. The Autodesk Visiting Fellows Program recruits senior-level, industry-shaping talent to help light the future path of Autodesk. Although fellows have a rich sectoral expertise, they tend to focus on defining and pursuing cross-industry issues emerging at the intersection of our traditional markets and technologies.

The most recent Visiting Fellow addition is someone many may recognize and we are excited for them to join us until May 2020.  Alex Lobos is joining us during his sabbatical from Rochester Institute of Technology. Alex is not only an amazing designer and Fusion 360 power user, he is amazing person and will help us better understand and explore opportunities and perspectives around learning futures.

Alex’s Biography

Alex Lobos focuses in design, technology and emotional attachment as means to elevate quality of life. He is Professor and Graduate Director of Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology, in upstate New York.

At Autodesk, Alex is a Visiting Research Fellow, focusing on Learning Futures. He is also Expert Elite for Fusion 360, member of Autodesk University’s Advisory Council, AU Featured Speaker and recipient of Fusion 360’s Education Award. He has collaborated with several groups at ADSK, including: Fusion 360 and ReMake product teams, Sustainability Workshop and Design Academy. In conjunction with these collaborations, a university-wide partnership between RIT and Autodesk Education Experiences (AEX) was signed in early 2019.

Alex’s research and academic work have been sponsored by companies such as Autodesk, AT&T, Colgate-Palmolive, General Electric, Kraft, Makerbot, Staples, Stryker, Sun Products, Unilever and Wegmans. He lectures and teaches frequently throughout Europe, Asia, North and Latin America. Alex is recipient of the Eisenhart Award, RIT’s highest recognition for teaching excellence. He has been a juror for the International Design Excellence (IDEA) Awards and the Ibero-American Design Biennial, as well as industrial designer for General Electric.

Alex was born in Guatemala, where he started his career as industrial designer, and in 2002 moved to the U.S. as a Fulbright scholar. He holds a MFA from the University of Notre Dame and a BID from Universidad Rafael Landivar. He loves playing drums, long-distance running, and spending time with his family.

Some of Alex’s Designs using Autodesk Fusion 360

We are grateful to have Alex join us and look forward to the time together.

Shaan