Personal statement

Dr. Onan Demirel is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Engineering Design in the Department of Design, Manufacturing, and Engineering Management at the University of Strathclyde in the UK. He earned his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, where he also completed his B.S. (Honors) and M.S. degrees.

Prior to joining Strathclyde, he was an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University, where he directed the D-HUB Laboratory and served as a Principal Investigator.

Dr. Demirel’s research advances human-centered design, modeling, and simulation by developing early-stage engineering frameworks that integrate design science, human factors engineering, and systems thinking. He is internationally recognized for contributions to digital human modeling and human-in-the-loop methodologies that link design, manufacturing, and system-level performance.

His research has been supported by federal and state agencies, including funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC). In 2025, Dr. Demirel received the Exceptional Global Talent endorsement from the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK). He has authored more than 65 peer-reviewed publications and actively contributes leadership and service to the international research community.