John Vandermeer is Asa Gray Distinguished University Professor and Arthur R. Thurnau Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a professor in the Program in the Environment at the University of Michigan.  He teaches three courses, 1) food, energy and environmental justice, 2) the ecology of agroecosystems, and 3) complex systems in ecology. His research focuses on the coffee agroecosystem for which he delves into recent advances in complex systems in attempting to understand the biological, social, and political aspects of this important ecosystem. He is author or editor of 16 books and over 300 scientific publications. He is also a political activist, a founding member of the New World Agriculture and Ecology group, a current member of the revived organization “Science for the People,” and a founding member of the University of Michigan “Sustainable Food System Initiative.”