Alexander More

Alexander More is managing editor of the Mapping Past Societies atlas at Harvard and has held this role since 2014. Dr. More is a climate and health scientist whose work focurses on understanding the repercussions of climate change on population, ecosystems, and the economy. His approach involves utilizing detailed records related to climate, epidemiology, ecology, and archeoscience to offer a comprehensive view of recent environmental shifts. By drawing comparisons between current and historical trends in temperature, pollution, pandemics, and extreme weather, More sheds light on their direct impact on crucial aspects like food production, human health, economic well-being, and political stability. He has authored significant studies on the correlation between climate, pandemics, and pollution and actively contributes to the fields of environmental health and planetary health.

Currently holding positions at Harvard University's Initiative for the Science of the Human Past, the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, and the University of Massachusetts, Boston, More leads a collaborative project investigating the last millennium's effects of climate change on human and ecosystem health, as well as the economy. His research findings have gained attention in various media outlets including The Washington Post, CNN, Forbes, and many others. Dr. More frequently provides expert insights on the interplay between climate change and pandemics in the media, and his interviews and TED talk can be found on his webpage.

Beyond his research, More delves into the study of government responses to environmental and public health crises. He is in the process of completing a book on the origins of welfare and health care policy in the western world, an interest that led to his involvement in the drafting of the Affordable Care Act while working in Senator Ted Kennedy's office. More's academic pursuits have taken him to numerous archival repositories and field expeditions across Europe, North America, and Oceania, including underwater surveys in various regions. He is also an accomplished photographer, with a focus on underwater, archaeological, and wildlife subjects related to his research. Furthermore, he serves as the Managing Editor of Harvard's Digital Historical Atlas.

Raised and educated in Italy and Greece during his early years, More later settled in New York City for his secondary education. He pursued higher education in Chicago and ultimately completed his studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Following graduation, he embarked on an interdisciplinary PhD program at Harvard University. Over the years, More has taught a diverse range of courses and received numerous teaching awards. He has also supervised various theses on topics spanning from Medicaid and Medicare legislation in the United States to the establishment of public health systems in post-revolutionary Mexico and Oman, early modern foreign relations, women's role in creating the World Health Organization, and initial food enrichment policies in interwar United States.

In addition to his academic endeavors, More is deeply involved in non-profit initiatives. He supervised a student-run public health and environmental project in Bolivia, which has evolved into the NGO Refresh Bolivia, supported by grants from the Ford Fund. More has also held positions such as Managing Director of the World Ocean Forum and Communications and Education Director at Blue Ocean Watch, a climate-focused ocean non-profit. He is a fellow of the Theodore Roosevelt Institute, a fellow and former director of the Explorers Club, and a former fellow of Dumbarton Oaks Research Library. More has received research grants from the Arango Fund and Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.