Frey, de Weck receive tenure

By Lois Slavin – June 10, 2008

Two ESD Associate Professors, Olivier L. de Weck and Daniel D. Frey, were among those to receive tenure from MIT this year, as recently announced by Subra Suresh, Dean of MIT’s School of Engineering and the Ford Professor of Engineering.

(left to right) Former co-directors Dan Roos and Dan Hastings, director Yossi Sheffi, former acting-director Joel Moses, Oliver de Weck, and Daniel Frey

Olivier L. de Weck is Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems. He holds a dipl. Ing. in industrial engineering from ETH Zurich, which he received in 1993 and an S.M. and Ph.D. in aerospace systems engineering from MIT, received in 1999 and 2001 respectively. Before joining MIT he was a liaison engineer and later engineering program manager on the F/A-18 aircraft program at McDonnell Douglas (1993-1997).

Prof. de Weck’s research interests, teaching emphasis and professional experience are mainly in two areas: Systems Engineering for Changeability and Commonality and Space Systems Design for Exploration and Logistics.

Prof. de Weck is an Associate Fellow of AIAA, winner of the 2006 Frank E. Perkins award for excellence in graduate advising and recipient of the 2007 AIAA MDO TC outstanding service award. He won two best paper awards at the 2004 INCOSE Systems Engineering Conference, held the Robert Noyce Career Development Professorship from 2002-2005, and co-advised the best MIT System Design and Management thesis in 2005. He has over 100 journal and conference publications in the area of systems engineering and space systems design.

Prof. de Weck’s research has been funded by GM, NASA, BP, JPL, ArvinMeritor, DARPA/AFRL and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. He is a member of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). He served as the General Chair for the 2nd AIAA MDO Specialist Conference in May 2006. He serves as a faculty mentor to a number of student teams.

Daniel Frey, Yossi Sheffi, and Oliver de Weck

Daniel D. Frey is Robert N. Noyce Career Development Professor Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 1997, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado in 1994, and a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1987. Before joining MIT, he served as a Naval Officer during which time he qualified as a carrier-based jet pilot and served as an intelligence analyst for counter-narcotics operations.

Dr. Frey’s research concerns robust design of engineering systems. Robust design is a set of engineering practices whose aim is to ensure that engineering systems function despite variations due to manufacture, wear, deterioration, and environmental conditions.

Prof. Frey has received numerous awards and honors. These include best paper awards from the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), the Junior Bose Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2006, a best paper award from INCOSE in 2005, an NSF CAREER award in 2004; the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Teaching Award in 2000; the Everett Moore Baker Memorial Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching at MIT in 1999; and an R&D 100 Award in 1997. He also received the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his service in the armed forces in 1991.

Prof. Frey is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Statistical Association (ASA), the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE).

Prof. Frey also served as the first advisor to PBS’ Peabody award-winning program, Design Squad. In this role, he collaborated with the show’s producers to create Design Squad’s curriculum, playing a central role in developing the design challenges during the program's piloting phase and first season. In addition, he and students from MIT’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program conceptualized the design challenges, tested their feasibility and formulated kits of materials.

“Both Prof. de Weck and Prof. Frey are deeply engaged in research with a broad systems view that incorporates engineering, management and social sciences. Their work is fundamental to the rapidly developing field of Engineering Systems,” said Yossi Sheffi, Professor of Engineering Systems and Director of MIT’s Engineering Systems Division. “In addition, they are the first ESD faculty to be hired, promoted and receive tenure and we are very fortunate to have them with us.