People
Faculty from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) lead and provide core instruction in the MDE program. Additional instructors and guest critics are routinely incorporated into MDE courses to provide area expertise and experience from professional practice.
Program Co-Directors

Martin Bechthold
Kumagai Professor of Architectural Technology, GSD

Joanna Aizenberg
Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Material Science; Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, SEAS
Program Faculty

Kipp Bradford
Preceptor in Engineering Sciences, SEAS; Chief Technology Officer, Gradient

Elizabeth Bowie Christoforetti
Assistant Professor in Practice of Architecture, GSD; Founding Principal, Supernormal

Luba Greenwood
Visiting Lecturer in Engineering Sciences, SEAS; CEO at Kojin Therapeutics

Jonathan Grinham
Assistant Professor of Architecture, GSD

Fawwaz Habbal
Senior Lecturer on Applied Physics, SEAS

Jock Herron
Design Critic in Design Engineering, GSD

Karen Korellis Reuther
Design Critic in Architecture, GSD; Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative

Mary Tolikas
Lecturer on Engineering Sciences, SEAS; Chief Innovation Officer at Dana Farber Cancer Institute

James Weaver
Senior Scientist, SEAS

Andrew Witt
Associate Professor in Practice of Architecture, GSD; Co-Founder, Certain Measures

Siqi Zhu
Preceptor in Engineering Sciences, SEAS; Director, Planning & Delivery, Google Sidewalk Labs
“I knew going into the program that our cohort would be made up of deeply talented individuals from a variety of backgrounds, and I anticipated that we would all have different skillsets and knowledge bases. What I did not anticipate was that our interests and ways of working would be so closely aligned: across the board, there’s a desire to think systematically, understand details, and make a positive contribution to society.”
-Brian Ho, MDE ’18-

Gail Alderson
B.S. in Computer Science

Ghalya Alsanea
Bachelor of Architecture

Marc A. Apicella
B.A. in Economics; Postbaccalaureate in Experimental Psychology

Sneha Arvind
B.Des in Industrial Design with a specialization in Furniture and Interior Design

Rebecca Brand
B.A. in Art History, Art Studio

Kedrick Brown
B.S., Rutgers University (Physics major), and M.B.A., The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Kamila Czachorowski
B.A. in Anthropology, Secondary in Computer Science

Riad El Soufi
B.Eng. Civil Engineering

Caroline Fong
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Kevin Gao
M.S. in Computer Science and Data Science

Dishi Gautam
B.E. Engineering Product Development, Mechanical Engineering

Deepika Gopalakrishnan
Bachelor of Product Design

Binita Gupta
B.S.E. in Computer Science

Shangjun (Jenny) Jiang
B.A. in Statistics and Media Studies

Huanwen (Gavin) Jiao
B.A. in Product Design

Aqdas Kamal
B.Eng. Materials Science and Engineering, MSc Biomedical and Bioengineering

Allison Karp
B.S. Aerospace Engineering with Minor in Mathematics

Mimi Kigawa
M.A. in Geosciences and Business

Jessica Kwon
B.S. Psychology & Human-Computer Interaction

Ana Lucia Merla
B.A. in Design

Felicia Liang
B.Com in Business Economics and Law

Steven Morse
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Lurein Perera
Computer Science and Economics

Brandon Read
B.S. Computer Science

Cedric-Pascal Sommer
B.S. in International Business Administration

Shivesh Sood
B.Eng. in Electronics Engineering

B.A. in Computer Science, MEd in Curriculum and Teaching

Arthur van Havre
B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science

Connie Wang
Bachelor of Architecture

Yujie Wang (王宇杰)
B.A. in Architecture with Environment & Energy Engineering; Master in Computational Design

Jiabin Wei
M.E. in Urban Planning and Policy Design

Jiwon Woo
B.A. in Computer Science and Media Arts, M.F.A. in Biodesign

Hana Yamaki
B.A. in Economics

Daeun Yoo
B.A. in Fine Arts, Minor in Business Administration

Wenbo Zhang
Master of Architecture, Cornell University

Aman Kaleem
Visiting Artist at Harvard University, M.A. Mass Communication with specialization in Film
MDE alumni take the skills, tools, and techniques developed during the program into a variety of fields, industries, and research institutions. Some MDE alumni work for large corporations, others for startups, non-profits, or in the academy. Their pursuits are as diverse as their backgrounds, and several have started ventures based on work in the MDE program.
Featured Alumni Stories

Nupur Gurjar
Students in Dialogue: A conversation with MDE candidate Nupur Gurjar

Maximilian Mueller
Students in Dialogue: A Conversation with Maximilian Mueller
Alumni Directory
The following listing includes a selection of MDE alumni.

Nicole Adler

Zeerak Ahmed

Katrina Armistead

Ed Bayes

Jeronimo Beccar

Yash Bhutada

Jeremy Burke

Nicholas Collins

Jenny Fan

Taylor Greenberg Goldy

Mitsue Guerrero Monsalve

Nupur Gurjar

Brian Ho

Vivek HV

Divyanka Kapoor

Togo Kida

Erin McLean

Arjun Menon

Terra Moran

Maximilian Mueller

Santiago Mota

Elisa Ngan

Elizabeth Price

Michael Raspuzzi

Kenneth So

Vish Srivastava

Karen Su

Mengxi Tan

Kiran Wattamwar
The MDE Industry Advisors are a group of industry experts from diverse fields—design, engineering, education, consulting, technology, and more. They are regularly invited to join reviews of student work and provide career advice, or might advise a second year ‘Independent Design Engineering Project’ (IDEP). The interdisciplinary expertise of our industry advisors reflects the innovation, ingenuity, goals, and values of the program, and provides invaluable support to the collaborative nature of MDE.

Sean Chiao
Global Business Line Chief Executive, Buildings + Places, AECOM

Dana Cho
Chief Design Officer, Verily Life Sciences

Andrew B. Cogan
CEO, Sonneman, Inc.

Fiona Cousins
PE, LEED AP BD+C, Arup

Karen Harris
Managing Director of Macro Trends Group, Bain & Company

Jonathan Hursh
Founding Partner, Utopia

Ana Pinto da Silva
CEO, 2G3R Inc.

David Radcliffe
VP of Real Estate and Workplace Services, Google

Wolfgang Rieder
Entrepreneur

Randy Swearer
Vice President, Learning Futures, Autodesk

Harry West
Professor of Practice, Columbia University; Principal at Invisible Design
“I remember in the first advisory board meeting that we, as advisors, looked at each other and said we would love to be students in the program ourselves. It was remarkable to see leaders of IDEO, frog, and AECOM be provoked with a childlike curiosity to learn again. The ambition and audacity of the program drew this out in them. I know we shared a keen sense that it is critical for the world that we produce designers who can handle the complexity that is rushing our way.”
-Jonathan Hursh, Founder of Utopia-