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Overview

Americ Azevedo blends the information technology world with cultural, social, psychological and spiritual studies; focusing on to building a more human world in the age of technology. Americ lectures for both the College of Engineering & Peace and Conflict Studies. Areas of interest include: meditation, non-violence, comparative religion, technology and world culture; physics and mysticism; socratic teaching; re-engineering education, "cultureware" development, virtual community development, and e-learning platform design.

Americ's teaching career began by creating and teaching a course on “Mysticism and Science” at San Francisco State University with the inspiration and encouragement of Dr. Jacob Needleman. He has since presented talks related to the confluence of the “two worlds” to diverse groups. He has taught philosophy and religion at San Francisco State University and Dominican University of California; information systems, leadership, management and finance at Saint Mary’s College of California, Golden Gate University, University of San Francisco, and John F. Kennedy University.  Former Director of the Innovation Center at Golden Gate University; former Senior Consultant with Collegis, an academic technology management company.

His consulting career spans duties as acting CEO during technology company reorganizations, development of e-learning systems for universities and companies, database management, website development, and contractor management services. He is co-founder and architect of the CyberCampus at Golden Gate University (now serving over 2000 students and 90 faculty per semester).  Developer of several virtual communities.  Founder, CalMatrix, virtual community system for UC Berkeley. Co-founder of TheKnowledgeLab, an international think tank in collaboratvie cultures and technology. First podcast class at UC Berkeley, Fall 2005.

Americ holds B.A. in Philosophy from University of California, Irvine and M.A. in Philosophy from San Francisco State University.
 

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Courses

Courses at University of California, Berkeley:

Case Studies in Engineering Ethics. Engin 130AC.  Spring 2009, Fall 2009.

Theory and Practice of Meditation, PACS 94, Fall 2007 to Fall 200.

Introduction to Nonviolence. PACS 164A, Fall 2008, Summer 2009, Fall 2009

Nonviolence Today. PACS 164B. Spring 2008.

Peace on Earth, Golden Rules, and the World's Religions, PACS 84, Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Spring 2008

Time, Money, and Love in the Age of Technology, Engineering 24, Sec. 1 -- Fall 2005 to Fall 2008

Introduction to Computers Engineering 110 (formally IDS 110 until Spring 2007) -- Fall 2000 to Fall 2008

Introduction to Networked Applications and Computing Information Systems 106 (IS C106) / Engineering 111 (E C111) David Messerschmitt & Americ Azevedo -- Fall 2001 & Spring 2002

Courses at other universities:

Meditation: Theory and Practice. Berkeley City College (Summer 2009)

Spirituality and Leadership, Saint Mary's College

Eastern Philosophy and Religion, Dominican University of California

Introduction to Philosophy, Indian Valley Colleges & Chabot College

Mysticism and Science, San Francisco State University

Management Information Systems, Golden Gate University

Knowledge Management, Golden Gate University

Database Management Systems, Golden Gate University

Internet Start up Finance, Golden Gate University

Introduction to Economics, John F. Kennedy University

Management of Organizational Change, John F. Kennedy University

Courses under development:

Ancient Wisdom & Contemporary Business Leadership

Mysticism and Physics

Collaborative Intelligence and Computing

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Talks and Workshops

Nonviolence, Environmental Protection and Personal Transformation. Berkeley Summer Institute for the Global Generation, August 11, 2009.

Being Wired, Being Human, keynote speech, Binary Being: Staying Human in the Computer Age, July 26-29, 2007.

Time, Money, and Love in the Age of Technology, UC Berkeley Extension. October 7 & 21, 2006.

Cultivating Stillness in a Crazy World, Elephant Pharmacy, Berkeley, CA. October 2006.

Dialogue for Healthy Communities, Elephant Pharmacy, Berkeley, CA. September 2006.

Techno-stress and the Laws of Change, Elephant Pharmacy, Berkeley, CA. July 2006.

Realizing True Wealth, Elephant Pharmacy, Berkeley, CA. June 2006.

Humble Greatness, Philosophers Forum, Berkeley, April 9, 2005.

Spirituality in the Workplace, Diocese of Sacramento, April 25, 2004.

Realizing True Wealth, ProSearch, Oakland, CA. December 11, 2003.

Here, There & Now: The Extended Learning Community, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Washington D.C., November 5, 2002.

Increasing Return on Investments in Education, Training and Teamwork with Online Socratic Dialogue, Bay Area ITEC, August 29-30, 2001, Oakland Convention Center.

Improving education with online Socratic dialogue, Return on Investment: can your community pay the bills? -- A public online think tank - July 19 through 27, 2001.

Dynamic Integration of Large Live Classroom Lectures, Streaming Media, and Text based Student Feedback, University of California, Berkeley, California, March 7, 2001.  For the Berkeley Multimedia Research Center.

Computer's don't teach and learn -- people do!, The Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, February 23, 2001.

Socratic Online Method, PACE (Professional Association of Computer Educators), San Francisco, California, November 9, 2000.

The Art of War in Cyberspace,  Asian Business Association, June 21, 2000.

Virtual Learning Community Creation, Young Presidents' Organization, Irving, Texas. November 4, 1999.

The Knowledge Transfer Network,  Independent Colleges of Northern California, San Francisco. October 1999.

Delivery of Classes Through Web Enhanced Modalities (assisted by Dr. Tom O'Neil, Academic Vice President, Golden Gate University) for Third Annual Learning on the Internet Conference, Santa Rosa Junior College, April 9, 1999.

Virtual Communities & Distance Learning, for KaosPilot University. April 9, 1998.

Working With Faculty To Develop Internet-Based Curricula; and, The Use of GroupWare To Enable Faculty and Students To Interact Time and Location Independent, for the Regional Trustee Workshops on Technology Issues, Raritan Valley Community College (April 10, 1997) and Camden County College (April17, 1997).

Socrates Knowledge Transfer System, Learning in the 21st Century conference at City College of San Francisco Office of Contract Education and Workplace Learning and Resource Center. April 16th, 1997.

Internet Based Courseware, Distance Learning Symposium: Learning Without Limits at Camden Country College, Blackwood, New Jersey. April 5th, 1997.

The REAL Virtual University at Golden Gate University, CAUSE Conference, San Francisco, Dec. 4th and 5th, 1996.

Is the Internet Good for Society and Organizations?  Presentation organized by Azevedo and his students with industry leaders and the President of Golden Gate University. 1995.

Existentialism, Zen, and the Earth, New American Place, San Francisco, March 5, 1989.

Leadership as a Philosopher-Executive, American Philosophical Association, March 24, 1989 in Berkeley, California.

"Philosophers Forums" founded and conducted by Azevedo. Socratic dialogues on great ideas such as human existence, being and time, what is knowledge, free will and destiny. 1980-1994

Other venues include: Stanford University, World Public Forum, Institute for Applied Psychology, Cultural Integration Institute, Whole Life Expo, Theosophical Society, and Spirit of America Rock Concert. (Groups varied in size from 5 to 50,000 people.)

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Publications

Articles

"Reflections on Dynamic e-Learning Environments". with Elena Paparizou, Department of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley and Jean-Pierre Protzen, Department of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley. Presented at International Conference on Teaching and Learning with Technology in Art Design and Communication. University of the Arts, London. September 14-16, 2005

"Realizing True Wealth". in What is True Wealth: How Do We Create It.  Edited by Verna Allee & Dinesh Chandra. Indigo Press, New Delhi. 2004

"Buddha Drinks Tequila; Jesus Smokes Cigars?!" 2003 [audio]

"Being Wired Can Be Very Human". CyberCampus News. Summer 1997

"Techno-Stress & The Good Life". Connections. Spring 1995

"Business and the Good Life". Michael Scott Studios Digital Media Productions, Pleasanton CA. 1994, 2004 [audio]

Computers Don't Teach -- People Teach: The Socrates Online Method. 1998 [web]

"Living the Truth". Footsteps. October 1992

Eye of the Paradox. 1992 [web and print]

"The Importance of Philosophy to Business".  Bay Area Business Magazine. 1985

Columns (Newspaper, Radio, Blog)

"Philosopher-at-Large". Blog. 2006 to present

"Ruminations". The Berkeley Post. 1986-1987

"Philosopher's Notebook". Lifestyle Magazine. 1982-1983

"Pelican Papers". Earthstar Radio on KEST and KFAX, San Francisco. A weekly audio opinion column. 1981-1982

"Backwash". The Newporter News. 1970

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Media Coverage

"Time, money, and love in the age of technology: New freshman seminar plumbs the philosophical depths of digital living." Engineering News, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley. Feb. 20, 2006. Vol. 77, no. 6S

"Pod Class". NBC-11 Bay Area televison. Aired on 11:30 p.m. news show on February 17, 2006, during Winter Olympics. Includes scenes and interviews of Azevedo and students. Focused on the use of podcasting as a technological help for study at UC Berkeley.

The iPod Took My Seat: As college professors post lectures online, they're seeing a rise in absenteeism. A low-tech response to no-shows: more surprise quizzes. Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2006, front page.

Podcasts Put Lecture in the Palm of Students’ Hands. The Daily Californian, Sept. 29, 2005

Online lecture a virtual hit at UC-Berkeley, East Bay Business Times, Sept. 9, 2002.

Virtual Socrates, Berkeleyan, May 1, 2002.

Building a Conversation with 500 Students, Syllabus Case Study,  July 2001, page 10.

"Cyberteacher: Adventures in Learning".  Connections (Spring 1996).

Business and Philosophy. KCBS radio with author and philosopher, Dr. Jacob Needleman.

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Fellowships and Awards

Freshman & Sophomore Seminars - Blue Award 2009.  University of California, Berkeley.

2005-2006 Mellon Innovation Funds for development of a "Portable Audio Studio"

Mellon Faculty Institute on Undergraduate Research Fellow, 2004

Distinguished Teaching Award, 1997, Golden Gate University.

Golden Apple Award, 1995, for teaching, Golden Gate University.