Dr. Maria Yang

Professor

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Biography

Maria Yang is a Professor and the Interim Dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Mechanical Engineering. With a focus on early stage design processes, she investigates how design representation can influence the success of products and systems. Her work encompasses visual, physical, and linguistic dimensions of design, as well as system-level design of complex engineering systems. Over the years, she has partnered with organizations such as NASA, Ferrari, and IBM to evolve innovative design strategies. Additionally, Professor Yang teaches various courses ranging from Toy Product Design for freshmen to Product Design Development for graduate students, collaborating with both the Sloan School of Business and the Rhode Island School of Design. Her educational background includes a B.Sc. from MIT, an M.Sc. from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. from MIT. She has received numerous awards throughout her career, signifying her excellence in teaching and contributions to the field of engineering education and design research.

Research Interests

Awards

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MacVicar Faculty Fellow

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Bose Excellence Teaching Award

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ASEE Fred Merryfield Design Award

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Ruth Joel Spira Excellence Teaching Award

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Capers Marion McDonald Mentoring Award

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ASME Fellow

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ASME Design Theory Methodology Paper Award

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Earll Murman Award Undergraduate Advising

Courses

2.00B Toy Product Design 2.00 Introduction to Design 2.009 Product Engineering Processes 2.739/15.783 Product Design Development