Simon Penny, a professor at UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts, brings a unique background spanning sculpture, installation, performance, and custom computer-based embodied interaction. Formerly a professor of Art and Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, he joined UCI in 2020, focusing on kinetic sculpture and art and technology. He's deeply engaged in indigenous Pacific Islander seafaring traditions and is building an experimental sustainable sailboat on campus.

Simon's classes include Art and Sustainability and A Cultural History of the Anthropocene. He's an active environmentalist advocating for alternative technologies. He emphasizes the unsustainability of the American consumer culture, driven by products designed to quickly wear out, and underscores the urgency of addressing waste issues. However, he's hopeful about a more sustainable future, as the current generation increasingly recognizes the need for social, political, and environmental action. Simon urges education on issues like fossil fuel consumption, energy usage, waste management, and environmental justice, emphasizing that every spending choice is a vote for the world we want.