Deborah Lee Thurston is an American civil engineer specializing in the

engineering design process The engineering design process, also known as the engineering method, is a common series of steps that engineers use in creating functional products and processes. The process is highly iterative – parts of the process often need to be repeat ...

and

sustainable engineering Sustainable engineering is the process of designing or operating systems such that they use energy and resources sustainably, in other words, at a rate that does not compromise the natural environment, or the ability of future generations to meet ...

. She is Gutsgell Professor Emerita of Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering at the

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

Education and career

Thurston was interested in gymnastics as a high school student in suburban Minnesota, but gave it up to major in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

, where she graduated in 1978. She continued her studies at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

, where she earned a master's degree in 1984 and a Ph.D. in 1987, under the supervision of Joel P. Clark. She joined the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1987, as an assistant professor of general engineering, and was the department's only female faculty member from then until 1999. In 2005, the department of general engineering merged with the university's program in

industrial engineering Industrial engineering (IE) is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, an ...

to form a department of industrial and systems engineering, and she became the interim head of the department, serving until 2007. She served as interim head again in 2019–2020, before retiring in 2021.

Recognition

Thurston was named as an

ASME Fellow The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing edu ...

in 2010, for "significant contributions through her research in multi-objective engineering design decision making, developing new methods for simultaneous analysis of environmental impacts, production costs, and product performance and quality".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thurston, Deborah Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American civil engineers American women engineers University of Minnesota alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty Fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers