We’re excited to host Dr. Faez Ahmed, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, where he directs the Design Computation and Digital Engineering Lab. His research interests lie at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and engineering design, focusing particularly on first‑principle generative AI and optimization algorithms, multi‑modal representation learning, and engineering design methodology with human–AI design co‑pilots.

Abstract: Generative AI is transforming how we create, customize, and accelerate digital content. Yet applying these tools to engineering design introduces unique challenges, from maintaining precision under evolving requirements to working effectively in data-scarce environments and interpreting designer intent. In this talk, I will discuss these challenges and show how emerging engineering-focused foundation models are beginning to address them, reshaping workflows in areas such as vehicle design, CAD automation, and design optimization. I will highlight new opportunities enabled by generative AI that integrates multimodal data with engineering simulations and optimization, and present examples of AI-driven design co-pilots for engineering tasks. The talk will conclude with a perspective on how AI enables us to broaden design democratization, accelerate innovation cycles, and fundamentally reshape the role of engineers.

I am incredibly happy to share that I have been promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley!

This would never have been possible without such an incredible group of students, postdoctoral researchers, visiting scholars, and collaborators who I was so fortunate to work alongside. It has been such a joy to interact with so many brilliant people and to bring our crazy ideas to life across 80+ publications and countless projects in our “intellectual lab compost.” I am deeply grateful to all of you for your trust, creativity, hard work, and partnership.

Onwards!

The new Berkeley Intelligent Robot Design (BIRD) Center brings together research on robotic machinery and intelligent system co-design. Diana presented ongoing research on data-driven kinematic linkage design, and Kosa shared about the lab’s expertise developing AI-supported design tools, computational and cognitive design, and the importance of academic-industry partnerships.

Check out more information about the center here.

We’re excited to host Dr. John Gero, Research Professor in Psychological and Brain Sciences at Drexel University. The symposium draws on brain studies of architects, engineers, and designers to reveal how tools, methods, and training shape creative cognition.

Recent advances in non-invasive brain measurements coupled with a dramatic reduction in their cost has made it possible to begin to answer the question: What happens in your brain when you design? This talk will present what your brain tells us about designing. It draws from brain studies of architects, engineers and industrial designers while they design. It presents answers we have learned to questions such as:

• are there differences in the brain activities of architects and engineers?
• does using design tools change the brain activities of the designer using them?
• does teaching design methods change students’ brain activities?
• can we use your brain response to improve your ideation?
• do brain activities correlate with design theory?

BIO: 
John Gero is currently a Research Professor in Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University. He is the former Professor of Design Science and Director of the Key Centre of Design Computing and Cognition at the University of Sydney. He has been a Visiting Professor of Design and Computation, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Psychology, Computer Science, and Computational Social Science at MIT, Columbia University, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, CMU, INSA-Lyon, University of Strathclyde, EPFL, University of Provence, UNCC and GMU. He is the author/editor of 57 books and has published some 900 research papers with over 30,000 citations.


We are excited to welcome new PhD students Juliana Covarrubias and Douglas McGowan to the Co-Design Lab. Juliana joins the lab from MIT, where she completed her BS in Mechanical Engineering and Design in 2024. Douglas joins from Penn State University, where he completed his BS in Mechanical Engineering in 2025. Welcome!

We also say goodbye to our postdoctoral scholar, Gaëlle Baudoux. Gaëlle worked on several projects relating to idea generation, analogical stimuli, and Generative AI. Good luck on your exciting future endeavors!