Betty Sue Flowers

Betty Sue Flowers, Ph.D., is a distinguished author, editor, and international business consultant whose work spans poetry, human rights, and strategic foresight. A graduate of the University of London and recognized as a Distinguished Alum of the University of Texas, Flowers has published widely, including two books of poetry, four television tie-in books with Bill Moyers, and numerous essays and monographs on leadership, governance, and global issues. Her career has bridged creative and analytical disciplines, from consulting on the PBS series Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth to contributing to publications on global sustainable development, biotechnology, and water management.

Flowers has held influential academic and administrative roles, serving as Director of the LBJ Library and Museum and as a professor and associate dean at the University of Texas at Austin, where she directed the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and Creative Writing in the English Department. She co-founded Women’s Studies programs and has shaped leadership discourse through her work on scenarios and foresight, including her collaboration with Shell International, NASA, the CIA, and numerous global institutions. Her professional philosophy centers on reflective facilitation and deep listening, helping organizations and communities “talk as if they were in the future” to anticipate and shape emergent possibilities.

Currently based in New York City, Flowers continues to influence the global foresight community as Chair of the Strategy Commission for American Councils for International Education, a board member of the San Francisco Institute for Jungian Psychoanalysis, and former chairman of Public Agenda. She actively participates in initiatives that combine strategic foresight with civic engagement, including the Impact Trust’s Open Dialogues and the School of International Futures’ intergenerational learning programs. Her contributions to literature, academia, and global governance underscore a lifelong commitment to understanding the human experience and shaping more thoughtful, resilient futures.

• University of London - PhD

• Distinguished Alum of the University of Texas

• Board of Governors for the San Francisco Institute
• American Councils for International Education