Rate My Professor John Petersen

A systems ecologist by training, Petersen's research examines flows of energy, cycles of matter, and control mechanisms in complex ecological and social systems. His work centers on developing real-time feedback display technologies, such as the Environmental Dashboard, to foster resource conservation, systems thinking, sustainability, and community resilience. He co-founded Lucid Design Group in 2004 with former students, whose software now monitors energy and water use in thousands of buildings across the United States and Canada. More recently, he founded Community Hub to extend these technologies. Notable awards include the 2024 Civic Collaborator Award from MidTown Cleveland Inc. for Community Hub, multiple U.S. EPA People, Prosperity and the Planet awards (2002, 2004, 2005), National Wildlife Federation Campus Solutions to Climate Change awards (2007, 2009), and fellowships such as the U.S. Department of Energy Global Change Fellowship (1992-1998). His publications encompass over 40 peer-reviewed articles, including "Combining real-time feedback on resource use with incentives stimulates dormitory residents to reduce electricity consumption" (International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2007), "Dimensional approaches to designing better experimental ecosystems" (Oecologia, 2005), and recent contributions on systems thinking and biochar impacts (2024-2026). Through collaborations with students, educators, businesses, governments, and non-profits, Petersen's innovations have driven measurable reductions in resource use and advanced sustainability transformations, particularly in Oberlin.