Jonathan Hofius is the Associate Director of R&D at SRI International and oversees advanced research projects in the Medical Systems and Robotics organization within SRI. His experience includes time in management consulting, medical device and medical robotics startups, and in early-stage design and research. He has taken a human-centered approach to design and technology innovation, bringing together the business, engineering, design, and clinical perspectives to advancing medical technologies and practices. Jonathan holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, where his academic interests focused on medical device innovation, mechatronics, robotics, and manufacturing. While at Stanford he also went through the Stanford Biodesign Innovation program, both as a student and as a teaching fellow.
“I was born in Guatemala and have witnessed the dire conditions in which the majority of rural Central Americans live, with limited access to basic needs, including but not limited to access to technology, knowledge, and education. The Riecken community libraries provide exactly the kind of access and programming that can enable a child to transform their future. What excites me about the Riecken approach is the cooperation model between Riecken and the local communities. Too often organizations with good intentions parachute into developing countries for brief, intermittent, cookie-cutter efforts to help, only to leave those communities lacking in the sustainable infrastructure required for success. The Riecken model of cooperation and mutual investment not only creates a continuous relationship, but allows Riecken to use its funding very efficiently. As a board member I am excited to contribute to the already outstanding efforts to ensure rural Central Americans have access to a path to a better life.”