Faculty
John D. Sterman is the Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a Professor in the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. He is also the Director of the MIT System Dynamics Group and the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative.
Sterman’s research centers on improving decision-making in complex systems, including corporate strategy and operations, energy policy, public health, environmental sustainability, and climate change. His work ranges from the dynamics of organizational change and the implementation of sustainable improvement programs to climate change and the implementation of policies to promote a sustainable world. Sterman pioneered the development of “management flight simulators” of corporate and economic systems which are now used by corporations, universities, and governments around the world.
He is the author of many scholarly and popular articles on the challenges and opportunities facing organizations today, including the book, Modeling for Organizational Learning, and the award-winning textbook, Business Dynamics.
Sterman is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and received an honorary doctorate from the Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland. He has twice been awarded the Jay W. Forrester Prize for the best published work in system dynamics; has won an IBM Faculty Award as well as the Accenture Award for the best paper of the year published in the California Management Review. He received the Best Application Award from the System Dynamics Society for his work on climate change policy. At MIT, he has been recognized with the Samuel E. Seegal Faculty Prize, given to a professor who “inspires students in pursuing and achieving excellence,” the Jamieson Award for Excellence in Teaching, numerous other awards for teaching excellence; and was named one of MIT Sloan’s “Outstanding Faculty” by the BusinessWeek Guide to the Best Business Schools. His research has been featured in media around the world including the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe ,Public Television’sNews Hour, National Public Radio’s Marketplace, WGBH, and other media for his innovative use of interactive simulations in management education and policymaking, particularly in climate change and energy policy.
Sterman holds an AB in engineering and environmental systems from Dartmouth College and a PhD in system dynamics from MIT.
Naumov, Sergey, David R. Keith, and John D. Sterman. Journal of Operations Management. Forthcoming. Download Paper.
Gozluklu, Burak, and John D. Sterman. In Research Handbook on Complex Project Organizing, edited by D. Cao, Graham Winch, and Maude Brunet, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Forthcoming.
Gozluklu, Burak, and John D. Sterman. In Research Handbook on Complex Project Organizing, edited by D. Cao, Graham Winch, and Maude Brunet, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Forthcoming. Download Paper.
Rahmandad, Hazhir and John D. Sterman. System Dynamics Review Vol. 38, No. 4 (2022): 329-353. Download Paper.
Law, Beverly E., William R. Moomaw, Tara W. Hudiburg, William H. Schlesinger, John D. Sterman, and George M. Woodwell. Land Vol. 11, No. 5 (2022): 721. Download Paper.
Sterman, John D., William Moomaw, Juliette N. Rooney-Varga, and Lori Siegel. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Vol. 78, No. 3 (2022): 128-138. Download Paper.
Most corporate net zero pledges depend on carbon offsets, but many offsets don’t reduce emissions. Use this framework to identify which offsets are effective.
In their new research paper Professors Hazhir Rahmandad and John Sterman studied the COVID-19 pandemic across 93 countries and how their responsiveness to COVID risks affects future COVID disease.
"Building this immense LNG infrastructure will lock the world into continued reliance on fossil fuels and continued climate damage for decades."
"The current official U.S. targets are ambitious. They are also necessary to create a prosperous, healthy climate."
A 'Cash for Clunkers' (C4C) program would speed vehicle retirement, cut U.S. oil consumption, and help achieve our climate goals.
John Sterman discusses his groundbreaking research that proved burning wood for energy will "increase atmospheric CO2 for at least a century."
For many companies, the topic of sustainability is at the forefront of business agendas. Consumers and stakeholders are demanding greater accountability from organizations, and the regulatory environment is becoming increasingly stringent. However, pursuing the environmental, social, and governance impacts of business is often met with tension. Leaders now need to manage the misconception within business that meeting sustainability goals means compromising profits.
This innovative business sustainability program applies a unique MIT Sloan framework to the topic of environmental and socio-economic sustainability and uses an engaging mix of interactive lectures, simulation games and action learning. Participants leave with practical and impactful strategies for building consensus and making change, and are empowered to take action on sustainability from the personal through enterprise level.
