Dr Alex Penn

Bio:

https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p106892-alex-penn

Brief abstract:

Dr Alex Penn is a new lecturer in Sussex Informatics, having previously studied the MSc in Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems in COGS and gained her DPhil in the CCNR on the Major Transitions in Evolution and origins of evolutionary individuality

Since then, she has primarily worked on developing innovative participatory modelling methods to help stakeholders understand and manage societal complex systems challenges. She was a founder of the Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus at the University of Surrey and has worked extensively with government, arm’s length bodies, industry and local communities on real world complex systems challenges including UK food security, UK future farming, marine sustainability, energy security, bio-based economy and transport amongst others. Before coming to Sussex she spent a year seconded into the Systems Team in the Chief Scientists Office in Defra (The Dept of Environment Food and Rural Affairs), applying systems and complexity tools to live policy challenges. She instigated and led for 8 years the Societal Impact of Artificial Life movement with the Alife community. And continues to work on developing philosophies and approaches for experiencing and interacting with complex adaptive systems at all scales. She was made a fellow of the RSA for innovative approaches to steering bacterial evolution.

Talk delivered as part of Sussex AI seminar series on 12th November 2025. You can watch the recording on our YouTube.