Who We Are

The Society is currently being co-led as a collaborative effort between the Resilience Alliance (RA) and the Program on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS), with engagement and discussion with a variety of networks, such as the Global Resilience Partnership and other Future Earth Global Research Networks, like the Global Land Project.

Transitionary Structure and Governance Approach

From its inception, the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) Society has been envisioned as a co-created, member-driven organization and we are committed to actively involving our members in shaping the society’s future. The governance structure and activities of the society will eventually be co-produced through member-driven task forces, thematic streams, and regional hubs, with opportunities for members to lead, participate, and contribute. 

In this early phase, the SES Society will be governed by a transitional structure to facilitate such a collaborative space for the society’s longer-term establishment, ensuring that it is open, inclusive, and adaptive. Instead of a formal governing board, a Governing Transition Team will oversee activities in 2025, reporting to both the Resilience Alliance Board and the PECS Science Committee. 

The transition team’s role is to provide strategic oversight, ensuring that foundational elements—like membership models, task forces, and event offerings—are thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of a transdisciplinary SES community and allow for collaborative co-creation during the transition time.

This collaborative approach not only builds a stronger, more resilient organisation but also reflects the SES Society’s core values of inclusivity and co-creation. Together, we will establish an intellectual and professional home for social-ecological systems research, education, and practice that grows with the field and its community.

Transition Team Members

Elena Bennett
PECS Science Co-Chair

Professor, Department of Natural Resource Sciences and the McGill School of Environment, McGill University, Canada. 

Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs
PECS Science Co-Chair

Professor and Co-Director, Centre for Complex Systems in Transition, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; Researcher, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden.

Alta De Vos
PECS Director

Associate Professor, Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University

Berta Martín-López

Professor of Sustainability Science, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany.

Albert Norström
PECS Science Interim Co-Chair

Science Director at the Earth Commission, Associate Professor at Stockholm Resilience Centre,  Stockholm University, Sweden.

Garry Peterson
Resilience Alliance Board Chair

Professor, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden

Allyson Quinlan

Executive Director, Resilience Alliance, Canada.

Mike Schoon
Resilience Alliance Board Chair

Associate Professor, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, USA.

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