Jason Trew

Jason Trew is a Professor of Design Management at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) since 2023, specializing in strategic design thinking and innovation methodologies. He holds a Ph.D. in History from Auburn University, an M.A. in Humanities from California State University, and a B.S. in Foreign Area Studies from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at Air University (2018–2023) and held roles in U.S. Air Force education and training.

His research focuses on intersections between design thinking, military strategy, and organizational innovation. Notable contributions include The Icarus Solution (2022), exploring 'air-mindedness' in strategic contexts, and advocacy for playful innovation techniques through presentations like 'Serious Play' at the Air Force Innovation Summit. He has also contributed to space policy discussions via collaborations on Shooting for the Stars: Collaborative Design for Space.

• Awards: Air Officer Instructor of the Year (2011), Military Educator of the Year (2014), and U.S. Air Force nominee for the Gibb Wilson Aerospace Education Award (2019).
• Key Contributions: Founder of the Icarus Institute (USAF Center for Strategic Design Thinking), designer of strategic workshops for NASA and the Department of Defense, and contributor to U.S. Space Force leadership primers.
• Presentations: Delivered over 15 keynotes and workshops on topics like 'Design in the Department of the Air Force' (2022) and 'Playful Innovators' (2022).

His work bridges academic and military sectors, emphasizing adaptive leadership through design methodologies and fostering innovation through unconventional approaches like LEGO Serious Play.