Derek Cabrera, PhD (Cornell), is a systems scientist and cognitive scientist. He has served as Cornell University faculty since 2005, with appointments at the School of Human Ecology, the Brooks School of Public Policy, and the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs where he served as Faculty Director of the Graduate Certificate in Systems Thinking and oversaw the world's largest systems thinking conference. In 2026, he transitioned from Brooks to focus on his independent research lab and podcast — currently in the top 1% of podcasts worldwide — while continuing as Cornell faculty through eCornell and Executive Education.

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In 2021, he was inducted as a member of the Academy for Systems Thinking (AST, formerly IASCYS) for his outstanding contributions to the field. In 2025, he was elected Secretary General of AST and led its reorganization. In 2026, he was elected President of the International Society of Systems Sciences (ISSS). He serves on the Systems Engineering Advisory Board at the United States Military Academy at West Point, on the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Academic Advisory Council, and on the Science Board of the Systems Thinking Standards Institute (STSI)—the accrediting body for systems thinking standards based on scientific evidence of what works. He is a Black Belt certified Professional Systems Thinker® (PST). He was a Research Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI) and a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow in Nonlinear Systems in the Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at Cornell University. His work on cognitive-ontological universals has been supported by numerous grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the USDA. 

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As co-founder of the Cabrera Research Lab, Derek leads basic and applied research in complexity and cognition and promotes public understanding of systems thinking. He also developed TQ, the only validated systems thinking skills assessment test. He has delivered two TED Talks, holds three U.S. patents, and has authored a rap song and several children’s books on complex cognition. His publications include numerous book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and eleven books, including the award-winning “Systems Thinking Made Simple,” “Thinking at Every Desk,” and “Flock Not Clock,” as well as his newest book, “Connect the Dots.” He co-edited the “Handbook of Systems Thinking,” serves on the editorial boards of the journal “Systems,” and the “Journal of Systems Thinking.” He is renowned for discovering cognitive and ontological universals (O-Theory and DSRP Theory) and organizational universals (VMCL Theory). His work is featured in peer-reviewed journals, trade magazines, and popular publications, and is documented in the full-length film “RE:Thinking.”

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Derek was invited to develop online courses for the general public on LinkedIn Learning and eCornell, and he co-founded Plectica, where he created innovative software applications for systems mapping. As a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow, he advanced systems approaches in STEM evaluation and received the AAC&U’s K. Patricia Cross Future Educational Leaders Award. His systems models are utilized in numerous programs, organizations, and educational institutions, including Silicon Valley companies, Cornell University, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, special forces, professional athletes, the Department of War, and the U.S. Army War College.

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Beyond academia, Derek has 35 years of experience as a mountain guide, having worked globally with Outward Bound and other organizations. As employee #2, he helped found the Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) and later supported its connection to the Restorative Justice movement. He remains active as a part-time mountain guide. Derek holds a PhD from Cornell University and resides in Montana with his wife, Laura Cabrera, their children, and their dogs.

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