Our community is built of lifelong learners so we want to offer bite-sized snackables to keep your learning fresh. This is a chance to upskil with the newest tricks and tools of the trade with mini-modules and micro-credentials. No matter when you came through the program, we want you to be always learning and always activating.
Whether you’re a student practicing your facilitation, wanting feedback on a new idea, or an alumni ready to offer some of your own expertise, we’d love to have you sharing with the community. Workshops, talks, and lectures will keep building our foresight ecosystem. Think of The Lab as salon, sandbox, or test kitchen to incubate your brightest ideas.
We want partnerships beyond our program. That looks like deepening relationships at the university but also with you and the work you’re doing in the world. So link up with us. Let us know how we can partner to activate the future together, or connect us to groups you know who are doing great work.
The Activation Lab website/app was officially launched at Spring Gathering 2024. Students and Alumni of the University of Houston graduate and certificate programs are invited to join the community discussion boards, sign up for workshops, or RSVP to an in-person meetup in your area.
The annual Houston Foresight Spring Gathering takes place each Spring and brings together futures students, faculty, alumni and friends learn, network, and build community. The Activation Lab hosts a Living Lab on Friday, followed by an evening dinner and networking/socializing. Saturday’s conference begins with a plenary session before lunch and breaks into workshops in the afternoon, followed by an evening celebration of the UH Foresight community.
2026 Houston Foresight Awards
The UH Foresight Faculty selected three individual and three group projects for entrance into the Annual APF Student Recognition Competition. Good luck! We tapped our UH Foresight Advisory Board to judge the entries for the Houston Foresight Awards. It was great to see the number of entries way up this year.
[Winners are listed in alphabetical order]
APF Student Recognition Nominees
Individual
+ Xie “Maggie” Hill, Grounding in Groundbreaking: Evaluating ‘The Future of the Built Environment’ Report Through Social Change Theories
+ Diane Levine, Resistance Grooves: The Future of Music Activism
+ Autonnette McLaughlin, Future of the Womb
Group
+ Everlink: Future of Connection: Fernando Guitierrez, Sarah Lischner, Mathew Smith
+ Future Brew: Creative Foresight-infused Strategy for an Upstart Value-driven Coffee Business: Sarah Brooks, Phong, James Holcombe, Jeremy Ervins Philip Jones
+ Future of Truth 2040: Dan Eizans, Philip Jones, Lyric Metroplos, Chase Taylor
Houston Foresight Awards
Individual
+ Dan Eizans, The Future of Skilled Labor and Trades: 2045
+ Leah Fischer, Systems Thinking Embedded in a Futures Study of Honeybees
+ Alison Rand, Rewilding in the Age of Machines
+ Stephanie Shook, The Future of Gender Roles: Are We Moving Toward 2050 or 1950?
+ Amanda Welsh, Applying Social cohesion to ARUP’s 2050 Scenarios
Group
+ Neoarcology: Building Beyond Capitalism: Helen Doukas, Bertram Jenkins, Ginna Maznik, Autonnette McLaughlin, Damian Rainey
+ Foresight, Conflict, and Cohesion: What Social Change Theories Reveal about Shell’s Sky 1.5 Scenario: Bernardo Garcia, Dexter Lam, Patricia Mugenzi, Jessica Robbins
2025 Houston Foresight Awards
A competition to recognize and reward student excellence in Foresight.
Winner Group Project
Seattle Public Library Strategy 2035Seattle Public Library Strategy 2035
Steve Fisher, Lyric Metroplos, Fernando Gutierrez, Saima Burkie, Matthew Smith, and Mason Henderson
Winner Individual
Stephen Dupont
Winner Individual
Jess RobbinsEntangled Tomorrows: Harnessing Quantum Insight for Dynamic Foresight
Winner: Jess Robbins
Winner Individual
Autonnette McLaughlin
Student Recognition – Association of Professional Futurists Awards
Here are some examples of excellent student work that have been submitted to the APF Student Recognition program.