Leidy Klotz

About

Leidy Klotz studies and writes about design and problem-solving. He has published two books (with a third in press), over 80 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals including Nature and Science, and numerous articles in publications such as The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Scientific American. 

Klotz's book SUBTRACT: The Untapped Science of Less has translations in eight languages and is recognized as an essential read in behavioral science, design, environment, business, well-being, and education. The book builds from Klotz's research (with UVA Batten School colleagues Ben Converse and Gabe Adams) showing that the human mind tends to add before taking away, even to our detriment. 

Klotz's next book is IN A GOOD PLACE: How the spaces where we live, work, and play can help us thrive. (Little, Brown Spark, April 2026). 

Klotz teaches courses on Sustainability in the Built Environment and Psychology for Design and Innovation. Nationally recognized as a professor who inspires, he has received multiple institution-level teaching awards for his classes and close work with undergraduates, eleven of whom have earned Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation. He was an early adopter of massive open online courses. One is currently offered through Coursera and has reached tens of thousands of learners around the world. Another, on Sustainable Energy Innovation, led to real projects on at least three continents. 

Klotz has been awarded over $10,000,000 in competitive research funding, including a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, as well as one of the very first awards through the NSF’s INSPIRE program. Klotz co-chaired an expert panel for the journal Nature Sustainability. In this role, he brought together scholars, funders, and practitioners in order to continue advancing behavioral science for design. He’s advised 21 Ph.D. students, and his former advisees have taken influential positions in industry and academia including at: The University of Washington, UVA, Virginia Tech, Purdue University, Colorado State University, The University of San Diego, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and The University of Florida. Klotz's scholarship benefits from diversity and inclusion. More than three quarters of his advisees are from groups underrepresented in their respective fields.

Klotz has has been interviewed for Hidden Brain, Freakonomics, Mindscape and The Atlantic's "How to Build a Happy Life." He advises decision-makers, including at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Departments of Energy and Homeland Security, the National Institutes of Health, and the World Bank, among others. He has given more than 100 invited talks for organizations and universities including Stanford, MIT, and every member of the Ivy League (except Yale).  

His first scholarly book was Sustainability Through Soccer: An Unexpected Approach to Saving Our World. (Before his academic career, Klotz was a professional soccer player.)  

Education

B.S. ​Lafayette College

M.S. University of Washington

Ph.D. Penn State