Richard P. Adler

Richard Adler has been a leader in the field of aging and technology for more than a decade. He is a pioneer in developing technology training programs for and conducting research on the impact of technology on older adults.

Richard is principal of People & Technology, a research and consulting firm in Cupertino, CA. His recent activities include serving as lead U.S. consultant to the Smart Senior Consortium, a multi-national initiative to develop business strategies for the mature market, and directing a project on “The Future of Aging” for the State of the World Forum. He also served as Senior Vice President for Education for SeniorSurfers, a start-up company that provided computer training to older adults in California and Arizona. Other clients include the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, InfoWorld, Fujitsu, the Japan Research Institute, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Bell Atlantic/Verizon, the Seniors Media Lab, and Xerox PARC.

From 1990 to 1997, Richard was Vice President for Development at SeniorNet, whose mission is to provide adults aged 55 and older with access to computer and telecommunication skills. He played a key role in helping SeniorNet to grow from a small research project to a well-established national organization. While at SeniorNet, he conducted the first national survey of computer use by older adults, launched the organization’s first Web site, and directed an award-winning project that enabled older adults to participate in online discussions of important national issues.

Before joining SeniorNet, Richard was a director at the Institute for the Future, where he headed a research program in new information services. His clients at IFTF included major corporations such as Aetna, American Express, Apple Computer, AT&T, Chase Manhattan, Gannett, IBM, Kodak and Verizon.

Richard has written and spoken extensively about aging and information technologies. His recent publications include Looking Ahead: Older Adults, New Technology and Learning (The Older Learner, Winter 2001); Telecommunications 2011 (Penn State Institute for Information Studies, May 2001); Information Literacy: Advancing Opportunities for Learning in the Digital Age (The Aspen Institute, 1999); and Media Use by Older Adults: Television, Computers and the Internet (Seniors Media Lab, 1998). He has also developed a series of in-depth profiles of successful companies and organizations active in the mature market.

Richard has taught at Stanford and UCLA and was a Research Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He serves on several national advisory boards and is a member of the American Society on Aging’s Lifetime Education and Renewal Network (LEARN).

Richard holds a BA from Harvard, an MA from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MBA from the McLaren School of Business at the University of San Francisco.

	For a full Press Kit, interviews or photos please contact:   Richard Adler   People and Technology   10778 Juniper Court   Coopertino, CA 95014   Tel: (650) 968-9975   Portable: (650) 520-3045   radler@digiplaces.com