Pamela Morison

I am a Distinguished Technologist and the Chief Technologist for Office Print at HP Inc. In this role, I lead the integration of our technology roadmap to ensure a unified and cohesive strategy across hardware, firmware, software, and solutions assets. For nearly a decade, I have provided advocacy positions, technical rationale, and feedback on laws, eco-design requirements, and eco-labels at the state/province, national, and international levels. Over the course of my career, I have invented and/or played a major role in commercializing five technologies, hold 14 granted patents, and have helped bring more than 30 products to market globally. In 2022, I became only the thirteenth woman at HP to achieve the level of Distinguished Technologist—HP’s Technical Leader at the Director level. I am deeply committed to fostering inclusivity within engineering through my leadership in technical societies, corporate business resource groups (BRGs), STEM advocacy, and education organizations. I am a life member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and currently serve as a Director on SWE’s Board of Directors. In 2021, I founded Spark WIT, a monthly forum for HP’s Principal-level technical women, and I also co-lead HP’s Advanced Reliability Technologies Affinity Group. I am an active mentor, coach, and sponsor for multiple technologists both within and outside of HP. I earned my BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and hold a Professional Engineer’s license in Ohio. I live in Vancouver, Washington, with my husband, Andrew, and our twin sons. As a family, we enjoy hiking, biking, building with LEGOs, and playing board games.

1.  How do you use Applied Critical Thinking in your professional practice, teaching, or research, and what are your favorite resources?  

I use critical thinking every day as a technical leader. It's not just about what is technically best; I also need to consider business impact, alignment with customer needs, competitive threats, initial investment/development, and ongoing costs to support, among other factors. I do a lot of options analysis work

2. Why do you think Applied Critical Thinking is important in your domain or role?

Applied Critical Thinking is critical in most domains. Very few real-life problems have one correct answer. Critical thinking skills are necessary to evaluate the benefits and trade-offs to find optimal solutions, considering both business and environmental constraints.

3. Can you share a story where quality Applied Critical Thinking was key to your success?

Applied Critical Thinking is a critical part of what I do every day. By leveraging critical thinking skills, I look at problems from multiple points of view. This enables me to present solutions to executive leadership in a way that resonates across businesses and functions. With a foundation in critical thinking, I've been able to reduce end-to-end risk, drive new technologies that change the trajectory of categories, reduce carbon footprint while improving performance, and achieve many other benefits.

4. How do you use Applied Critical Thinking in other areas of your life outside of your profession?

Applied Critical Thinking is a skill I use in all aspects of life. If it's planning trips, making financial choices, tackling house projects, deciding what plants to grow, or helping my kids make decisions, etc.