MIT Strategic Engineering

de Weck
Olivier L. de Weck

Olivier L. de Weck, Ph.D., dipl.Ing.

Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and
Engineering Systems Division
33-410 and E40-229
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
United States of America

office phone: (617) 253-0255 or (617) 715-5195
email: deweck@mit.edu
website: http://strategic.mit.edu/

Dipl. Ing. Industrial Engineering (Betriebs- und Produktionswissenschaften), 1993, ETH Zurich
S.M., Aeronautics & Astronautics, MIT, 1999
Ph.D., in Aerospace Systems, MIT, 2001

Ph.D.Thesis: Multivariable Isoperformance Methodology for Precision Opto-Mechanical Systems [PDF] - thesis advisor: Prof. David W. Miller

My Professional Statement

ESD Faculty Website

Aero-Astro Faculty Website

Research Interests

Systems Engineering with emphasis on Lifecycle Properties ("The Ilities"), Product Platforms and Manufacturing, Space Systems, Space Logistics and Habitation, Integrated Modeling and Simulation, Multidisciplinary Design Optimization

Application Domains

Space Exploration, Aerospace System Design and Transportation, Complex Software-enabled Electro-mechanical Products, Manufacturing and Production, Automotive Design, Oil and Gas Exploration, Digital Printing Industry, Complex Infrastructure Systems, Renewable Energy Systems, Planetary Colonies and Habitats, Design of Cities

Teaching

(links are mostly to MIT OpenCourseWare OCW)

Positions Held at MIT

Robert Noyce Career Development Professor, 2002-2005
Associate Head of the Engineering Systems Division, 2008-2011
Executive Director, MIT Production in the Innovation Economy (PIE), 2011 - 2013
Co-Director Center for Complex Engineering Systems at KACST and MIT, 2011 - present

Positions Held Outside MIT

Swiss Air Force Officer, 1987-2000
ETH Zurich, Research Assistant, 1987-1992
Swiss Aircraft & Systems Co (now RUAG Aerospace)., R&D Staff Engineer, 1992-1997
McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), Swiss F/A-18 Engineering Program Manager, 1995-1997
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Visiting Scientist, 1998
Co-Founder, Intelligent Action Inc., 2007- present

Journal Editorships

Review Editor,Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2006-2009
Associate Editor,Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, 2007-2012
Associate Editor,Journal of Mechanical Design, 2010-2013
Editor-in-Chief, Systems Engineering, 2013 - present

Awards

Auszeichnung ETH Zurich, Abteilung IIIE (now D-MTEC), 1993 (graduated top of class)
Carroll L. Wilson Award MIT, 1998
INCOSE 2004 International Symposium Best Paper Award, 2004
NASA Certificate of Appreciation Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, 2005
Frank E. Perkins Award for Excellence in Graduate Advising, 2006
Associate Fellow AIAA, 2006
AIAA MDO TC Outstanding Service Award, 2007
Logistics Spectrum Best Paper Award (2nd prize - honorable mention), 2007
Systems Engineering Journal Best Paper of the Year Award (INCOSE), 2008
Space Systems Technical Working Group Collaboration Award (INCOSE), 2009
Best Technical Committee Award in Space Missiles Group (2nd place) (AIAA), 2010
Capers (1976) and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising, 2010
Systems Engineering Journal Best Paper of the Year Award (INCOSE), 2011
Reviewer’s Favorite Choice Award at ICED’11 Conference (Design Society), 2011
Excellent Paper Award at ICTC 2012 Conference (IEEE), 2011
Honorable Mention - 2011 American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE Award) in Engineering and Technology, 2012
Election as Fellow (INCOSE), 2012
AIAA 2012 Undergraduate Teaching Award (AIAA), 2012

Society Memberships

INCOSE - International Council on Systems Engineering - Fellow
AIAA - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics - Associate Fellow
ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineering - Member
ASEE - American Society of Enineering Education - Member
The Design Society - Member
AOPA - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association - Member

MIT Affiliations

Personal Interests

Family
Travel
Good Food and Wine
History of Exploration
Sports (Alpine Skiing, Ice Hockey, Hiking, Sailing)
Languages (German, French, English, Italian, Russian)