Robert Axelrod, University of Michigan
President 2006-07

Robert Axelrod, University of Michigan Robert Axelrod is the Arthur W. Bromage Distinguished University Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He has appointments in the department of political science and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Prior to coming to Michigan he taught at the University of California, Berkeley (1968-1974). He holds a B.A. in mathematics from the University of Chicago (1964), and a Ph.D. in political science from Yale (1969).

He is best known for his interdisciplinary work on the evolution of cooperation that has been cited in over three thousand articles. His current research interests include complexity theory (especially agent-based modeling) and international security. Axelrod has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Among his honors are a five-year MacArthur Prize Fellowship, the Newcomb Cleveland Prize of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences for an outstanding contribution to science, and the National Academy of Sciences Award for Behavioral Research Relevant to the Prevention of Nuclear War.

Recently, Axelrod has consulted and lectured on promoting cooperation and harnessing complexity for the United Nations, the World Bank, the U.S. Department of Defense, and various organizations serving health care professionals, business leaders, and K--12 educators. Axelrod's service contributions to APSA include service as Secretary of the Association, member of the Nominating Committee, and chair of the APSA panel on the Perestroika debate.