Dr. Sander van der Leeuw

Sander van der Leeuw is an archaeologist and historian specializing in the study of innovation and long-term impacts of human activity on the landscape. He pioneered the complex adaptive systems approach to socio-environmental challenges and was named “Champion of the Earth for Science and Innovation” by the UN in 2012 for his transformational leadership on research projects across the EU and trans-disciplinary education at Arizona State University (ASU). He is a corresponding member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts & Sciences and currently serves as professor and co-director of Complex Adaptive Systems Initiative at ASU, an affiliate of the Santa Fe Institute.