Dr. Derrick Tate is an Associate Professor and Founding Head of the Department of Industrial Design at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. He aims to impact society through bringing design thinking to areas of strategic importance: assessing the innovative potential of design ideas, developing sustainable approaches for building systems, transportation, and manufacturing; and broadening participation in innovation. Dr. Tate has carried out his research activities at the two ends of the research spectrum where they will have the greatest impact: fundamental research that provides a science base for the future of entrepreneurial engineering design as well as the application of design theories and tools to technology innovation. His recent projects include working with West Texas entrepreneurs on the development of innovative and sustainable designs and a US-Tanzania Workshop: Advancing the Structural Use of Earth-based Bricks, funded by NSF. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering degree from Rice University. His S.M and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering are from MIT in the areas of manufacturing and design, respectively.
