Arthur Petersen (DPhil DPA PhD MA MSc FISSR FIET FRSA FHEA MAE) is Professor of Science, Technology and Public Policy at UCL, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Dutch Delta Commissioner (since 2024), and Editor-in-Chief of Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science (since 2018 – this role includes that of Executive Director of the related US-based charity). He joined UCL STEaPP fulltime in September 2014 after more than 13 years’ work as scientific adviser on environment and infrastructure policy within the Dutch Government. He served as Chief Scientist of the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (2011–2014).

Professor Petersen is also Research Affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (since 2009). He has been Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (2009–2022), Adjunct Professor of Science and Environmental Public Policy at the VU University Amsterdam (2011–2016), Professorial Fellow in the Governance of Antimicrobial Resistance Risks at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment – RIVM (2016–2017) and Visiting Fellow in Anthropology of Environmental Infrastructures at Osaka University (2018). In June 2019, he was elected as a Member of Academia Europaea, the European Academy of Humanities, Letters and Sciences.

Professor Petersen studied physics and philosophy, obtained doctorate degrees in atmospheric sciences (Doctor of Philosophy – PhD, Utrecht University, 1999), philosophy of science/science and technology studies (Doctor of Public Administration – DPA, VU University Amsterdam, 2006), and theology/science & religion (Doctor of Philosophy – DPhil, University of Oxford, 2022), and now also finds disciplinary homes in international relations (science diplomacy and soft power) and philosophy of culture. Most of his research is about dealing with uncertainty.

Professor Petersen has been a member of STEaPP’s Leadership Team from 2014–2018 (in 2016–17 he was Acting Head of Department), and again from 2022.