Kathleen H. Sienko
Faculty Director
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in Mechanical Engineering (also cross-listed in Biomedical Engineering), co-founder of the Center for Socially Engaged Design (C-SED), and director of the Sienko Research Group and Global Health Design Initiative. Her research integrates medical engineering, design science, and engineering education, focusing on developing context-sensitive health technologies through design ethnography and global collaboration.
Eytan Adar
Design Science Program Committee
Associate Professor in the School of Information and by courtesy in EECS (Computer Science & Engineering). His research spans large-scale human–computer interaction, human–AI collaboration, visualization, social media, and temporal informatics—studying how people interact with evolving information systems.
Shanna R. Daly
Design Science Program Committee
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Miller Faculty Scholar, and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor. Co-founder and Director of Research & Evaluation at C-SED. Her research centers on front-end design and ideation across novice and practitioner contexts, creativity and divergence in engineering design, and socially engaged design practices. Professor Daly also teaches MECHENG 557 Front End Design.
Fred M. Feinberg
Design Science Program Committee
Joseph Handleman Professor of Marketing in the Ross School of Business with a cross-appointment in Statistics. A leader in probabilistic modeling of consumer choice, Bayesian econometrics, marketing research design, and data-driven decision-making in complex uncertain environments.
Nigel P. Melville
Design Science Program Committee
Associate Professor of Technology & Operations (Information Systems) in the Ross School of Business. A sociotechnical scientist whose work focuses on how organizations leverage digital technologies—such as AI, big data, and energy informatics—for strategic transformation, sustainable operations, and innovation.
Nicole Friedberg
Design Science Lecturer
Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering and lead instructor for DESCI 503, the Design Science program’s interdisciplinary capstone course. She guides graduate students through the complete design process—from problem framing and stakeholder engagement to prototyping and evaluation—helping them integrate technical and social dimensions in their final projects. Nicole’s teaching emphasizes real-world application, collaborative problem-solving, and professional skill development.
Charlie Michaels
Design Science Lecturer
Managing Director of C-SED and Lecturer in the College of Engineering’s Design Science program. He leads socially engaged engineering and design education—developing and teaching SEED courses, overseeing the interdisciplinary makerspace, coordinating fieldwork experiences, and facilitating graduate student engagement. He holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art & Design and has been recognized with multiple national fellowships. He is the lead instructor for DESCI 790/791.