Serguei Saavedra, theoretical ecologist. His work is based on a complex systems perspective and centered on understanding the feasibility of observing the emergence, transformation, and regeneration of ecological systems under environmental changes. He is an associate Professor at MIT in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Before joining MIT in 2016, Serguei studied systems engineering in Mexico; specialized in mathematical modeling in Italy; completed his PhD in engineering science at Oxford University; and did his postdoctoral work at the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, Doñana Biological Station, and in the department of environmental systems at ETH. He joined the SFI external faculty in 2023.