The ReGen_U educational context was born initially in 2012 from research and development at the Stanford University Center for Design Research (CDR) under Professor Larry Leifer, when James Ehrlich brought forward his research ideas to redefine a U.S. Department of Energy competition called the “Solar Decathlon” to extend the meaning of Microgrids (locally networked and shared power distribution) to include potable water harvesting, high yield organic food production, circular waste/resource digestion, and other IoT and smart mobility solutions for self-reliant and resilient neighborhood developments.
In 2017 the research initiatives and lectures moved from the School of Mechanical Engineering at CDR in Stanford University, to the School of Medicine, under Dr. James R. Doty, MD who is the Founding Director of the Center for Compassion Altruism Research and Education Institute (CCARE), where James Ehrlich is appointed as Director of Compassionate Sustainability. The program originated from lectures that emphasizes Design Empathy for technology based climate solutions that have been further extended to experiential learning coursework for institutions (K-12, Undergrad and Masters), as well as to international enterprise delegations from around the world.
The ReGen_U Team is comprised of seasoned professionals and educators with diverse backgrounds in design, architecture, mechanical engineering, Ai/Machine Learning, robotics, software and video game development, as well as residential and commercial real estate planning and development.