Michael Barton

Michael Barton is a Professor and Director of Education in the School of Complex Adaptive Systems at Arizona State University (ASU), with affiliations in the School of Human Evolution & Social Change. His research focuses on long-term socio-ecological dynamics, integrating computational modeling, geospatial technologies, and archaeological data to understand human-environment interactions. He leads interdisciplinary projects like the Mediterranean Landscape Dynamics (MedLanD) initiative, exploring resilience in socio-ecological systems through fieldwork and simulation.

He is a core developer of GRASS GIS, an open-source geospatial tool, and directs the Network for Computational Modeling in Social and Ecological Sciences (CoMSES). Barton’s work emphasizes open science, FAIR standards, and model reproducibility, supported by NSF and Sloan Foundation grants. He teaches courses on complex systems, geoarchaeology, and spatial technologies, and has contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed publications.

Barton’s research bridges archaeology, earth science, and computational science, addressing topics like climate intervention strategies, Neolithic transitions, and agent-based modeling. He collaborates globally, advancing tools like the Open Modeling Foundation to foster interdisciplinary scientific collaboration.