Elvin Karana appointed Professor in Materials Innovation and Design
In recognition of her excellent teaching and research into materials and design, Elvin Karana has been appointed Full Professor of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, TU Delft.
With her vision on the future of design and use of living materials, Professor Karana has captured the imagination of many. But she has never shied away from connecting experimental materials with real world adaptation: “Widespread acceptance of a new material in society is a lengthy process. Therefore, innovations in materials are considered a high-risk investment with large economic, ecological and social impacts. As a powerful strategy to accelerate the adoption of new materials beneficial to society, my research suggests developing an understanding of materials development and product design in synergy.”
“I particularly focus on innovative biobased materials that incorporate living organisms, such as algae, fungi and bacteria. I believe that design research should focus on the more effective ways to couple theory and practice from biology, product design, social sciences, materials science and engineering.”
Elvin Karana combines this ground breaking research with teaching, having played an important role in the development and provision of the design education programme within and outside TU Delft’s Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. “In the coming years, my aim is to make my research group a forerunner in the field of Materials Innovation and Design, with an eye on training future designers to develop the competency to tackle the complex challenges of materials in our future world.”
“It feels good to have my vision for the futures of design and my ideas on potential areas our faculty and university should engage in acknowledged by my colleagues. Hence, becoming a professor is just a beginning!”
Ena Voûte
- +31 (0)15 27 83278
- M.A.Voute@tudelft.nl
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32-C-4-240