Luciënne T.M. Blessing

Biography

Lucienne joined SUTD in 2016 as Professor in Engineering Product Development Pillar and Co-director of the SUTD-MIT International Design Centre. The latter position she held until December 2021. Prior to her position at SUTD, Lucienne was Vice-president for Research (2007-2013) and Professor in Engineering Design and Methodology at University of Luxembourg (2007-2016); interim Director of University of the Greater Region (a consortium of 6 universities in Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg) (2013-2015); Vice-president for Research and International Relations (2002-2004) and Professor in Engineering Design and Methodology at Technical University of Berlin (2000-2007); Senior Research Associate and Associate Director at Cambridge University Engineering Design Centre (1994-2000), Deputy Director of the British Aerospace – Rolls-Royce University Technology Partnership (UTP) for Design, University of Cambridge, UK (1998-2000); and researcher and lecturer at University of Twente (Netherlands) (1984-1992).

She received her MSc from Delft University of Technology (NL), a PhD from the University of Twente (NL). the “Young Lion” WDK award for “contributions to design science”, an Honorary Doctorate from Mälardalen University in Sweden, a Peabody Visiting Professorship at the MIT, and membership of acatech, the German Academy of Science and Engineering.

Her research Interests include: Empirical studies into design, Design methodologies; Design Education; Systems design; User experience; Design Science, Design Theory, Transdisciplinarity, Ethics.

Lucienne has over 35 years of university teaching experience – mainly in systematic product development (Bachelor and Master of Engineering), design science (PhD and Master students) and Machine Elements (Bachelor) – and has facilitated Design Innovation workshops for public and private organizations.

Thus far 27 PhD students successfully defended their PhD thesis under her supervision and a further 4 under her co-supervision. 11 former PhD students currently hold university positions as Assistant (1), Associate (2) and full Professors (7). From the 6 former postdoctoral fellows, 3 are full professors, 1 assistant professor. She currently supervises 3 postdocs and 4 PhD students. She has been a PhD and Habilitation examiner in 11 different countries and served on faculty appointment committees at various universities.

In the last 5 years, she has published 1 edited book, 1 book chapter, 13 journal papers, and 32 peer-reviewed conference publications, and given 23 keynote presentations and invited lectures in 7 different countries, and participated in 3 patent applications.

She is a member of the Editorial Board of the Design Research Foundations book series (Springer); co-founded the Design Society (www.designsociety.org) in 2000 and served on its Management Board and Advisory Board for a total of 16 years; was Editor-in-Chief (Europe) of the Springer journal Research in Engineering Design from 1996-2009; a member of the Steering committee of the Council of Doctoral Education of the European University Association (CDE-EUA) from 2013-15, and member or chair of institutional review committees (research centres, university departments). She translated two editions of the book Engineering Design of Pahl and Beitz, together with Ken Wallace.