About Leidy

Leidy Klotz studies the science of design, which, he reminds us, is something we all do every day. His research has appeared in both Nature and Science and his debut popular science book, Subtract, is among the most influential published in 2021 and is already on all-time reading lists for both design and behavioral science.

Leidy is a frequent guest on interview programs including Hidden Brain, Freakonomics, NPR, and for The Atlantic. His writing has appeared in outlets such as The Washington Post, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and Scientific American. He is a sought-after speaker, having given more than 100 invited talks at leading universities, think-tanks, and companies.

A professor at the University of Virginia, Leidy has authored more than 80 original research articles and secured more than $10 million dollars in competitive funding to support his and others’ work in this area. Recognized nationally as a professor who inspires, Leidy has taught thousands of students, including 21 Ph.D. advisees, whose designing and teaching shapes the world. Leidy's scholarship benefits from diversity and inclusion as more than three quarters of his advisees are from groups underrepresented in their respective fields.

Before becoming a professor, Leidy designed schools in New Jersey and before that he played professional soccer.