The EPC’s Complex Systems Toolkit is supported by Quanser.
The EPC’s Complex Systems Toolkit is supported by Quanser.We would like to thank everyone involved in the development of the Complex Systems Toolkit.
If you would like to add or update your bio, please contact Wendy Attwell.
Before taking on the role of director, Peter was responsible for managing the Academic Applications team, and the development of several notable ground-breaking products focused on diverse markets from robotics and mechatronics, to educational platforms and tools. Rory Adams Dr Rory Adams leads the UK Customer Success Engineering team at MathWorks, where he partners with academics enabling them to achieve their research and teaching goals, by taking advantage of the full capabilities of MATLAB and Simulink. Rory has extensive experience, as a former Application Engineer and Consultant at MathWorks, helping commercial customers solve their complex engineering challenges, and adopting model-based design practices to better deliver complex systems. He brings a wealth of expertise and a deep understanding of industry and academic needs to his current role. Richard Beasley Richard Beasley spent 38 years working as an engineer for Rolls-Royce – 20 years of which leading the embedding of Systems Engineering and as a specialist Systems Engineer. Heavily involved in the SE professional society INCOSE (UK chapter President 2024-2016, International Director of Services 2022-2024), lead author of the INCOSE Systems Engineering Competency Framework, author of many papers and now Chair of the Working Group on Embedding Systems Engineering). He was a visiting Fellow at the Bristol University Systems Centre (2006-2018). Recently retired from Rolls-Royce and working on his own business, RB Systems, he remains a passionate advocate of the Systems Approach, and in particular focused on how Systems Engineering is done, and so very focused on the competency and skills of all involved in the practice of Systems Engineering Dr. Francesco Ciriello Dr Francesco Ciriello is an Academic Education Pathway Lecturer in Engineering at King’s College London, where he teaches interdisciplinary design and mechatronics. He is also Director of Undergraduate Student Experience, Departmental lead for Project-based Learning & Design for General & Electrical Engineering, and King’s Academy Fellow in Project-based Learning. Francesco has broad expertise in Simulation and Engineering Design, with application to Robotics & Control systems, Fluid dynamics and Manufacturing. He previously worked in the Education Group at MathWorks and provided consultancy services to educators and researchers on software development with MATLAB & Simulink. He also holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Cambridge for his work in experimental fluid dynamics and a MEng in Civil Engineering from Imperial College London. Francesco is also a visiting lecturer for continued professional development courses at the University of Oxford, where he teaches short courses on Artificial Intelligence for Cloud & Edge and Digital Twins: Enhancing Model-based design with Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality. Professor Rob Deaves, CEng, FIET, FHEA, FLSW, FREng His early career industrial research at BAE Systems was into complex algorithms for robot navigation; these are still the baseline for robot navigation in products today. He was the robotic system architect for the 360Heurist and 360VisNav, the second and third Dyson automated vacuum cleaners on sale globally and the most sophisticated mass-market consumer robots designed in the UK. Through his industrial experience, he provides support for academia-industry-societal ventures, by chairing institutional sponsored projects, advising on research and providing teaching support for universities across the UK and the world. This has been recognised through awards of RAEng Visiting Professor at Imperial College London and Honorary Professor at the School of Engineering, Birmingham University. Chris Hamlin Chris is co-founder and lead advisor at HancockHamlin, a research-based, enablement, training and coaching company that helps people and organisations operate effectively in complex and emergent environments. Originally a process control engineer, Chris’ more recent work has been in technical and business consultancy, focusing on development and sustainability. He is a qualified Co-Active coach with a passion for helping technical and scientific leaders to broaden their perspectives and find the fulfilment they strive for. Chris is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Huddersfield. Amina Hamoud Amina Hamoud is a Lecturer in Systems Engineering at the University of the West of England and teaches a variety of subjects relating to systems engineering, systems thinking, control and automation, and intelligent transport systems across different programmes. She co-leads on Bristol Robotics Laboratory Connected & Autonomous Vehicles research group, where she leads several projects around AI and transport. She is also the School of Engineering EDI co-lead. Prior to joining UWE Bristol, she worked as a Research Engineer for an Automotive Consultancy where her focus was on developing safe Autonomous Vehicles and Intelligent Transport Systems, whilst completing her PHD at Loughborough University in the same area. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree (BSc) in Maths and Computer Science, an MSc in Telecommunications and Networks Systems, and an MRes in Image Processing and Computer Vision. She has worked in technology and software for years prior across different countries. Mohammad Hassannezhad Mohammad Hassannezhad is an Assistant Professor (UK Lecturer) in Systems Engineering within the UCL Centre for Systems Engineering at Mullard Space Science Laboratory, where he co-leads the Systems Engineering MSc Degree Apprenticeship programme with various industries, contributes to teaching Systems Thinking and Engineering Management and Systems Design, and conducts research on aspects of Sustainable Systems Engineering, Socio-Technical Systems Design, and Systems Engineering Edutainment. He has a pragmatic multidisciplinary mindset with over 15 years of experience in designing, analysing, and managing complex systems through taking various engineering, consultancy, and academic roles across sectors, spanning Agriculture, Automotive, Aerospace, Telecom, Healthcare, and Public Policy at multiple levels of the UK government. He has a PhD in Engineering Systems Design from Politenico di Torino (Italy) and before joining UCL, worked for Queen Mary University of London (as a Lecturer), University of Sheffield (as SIPHER Systems Mapping Lead), and University of Cambridge (as an Industrial Research Associate funded by Rolls-Royce and BT). He is a Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) by INCOSE and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Dr. Sarah Jayne Hitt SFHEA Sarah Jayne Hitt, Ph.D. SFHEA specialises in the integration of the arts, humanities and social sciences within engineering education, especially focussing on ethics and communication. She has served as project manager for the EPC’s Ethics and Sustainability Toolkit initiatives, is Transferable Skills Lead for the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology at NMITE and is Visiting Professor in the School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University. She has led national and international workshops on interdisciplinary learning and teaching and worked with academic and industry partners on various engineering education initiatives. She has recent publications in the International Journal of Engineering Education and The Journal of Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education. Tim Kerby Tim is the Founder and CEO of Edinburgh Systems, a leading Scottish consultancy dedicated to advancing Systems Engineering and Systems Thinking practices across multiple sectors. A Chartered Engineer (CEng), Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET), and Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) with INCOSE, Tim has over 20 years of experience in complex systems design, optimisation and understanding. He holds a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professorship in Systems Engineering at Heriot-Watt University and teaches at the University of Edinburgh including leading the Systems Thinking for Health and Social Care programme. Recent pioneering work includes the Zero Emissions Flight Infrastructure (ZEFI) programme, which has shaped the roadmap for UK airports to achieve net-zero emissions through hydrogen and electric aviation. He is a Co-Investigator and industrial partner on the Systems Engineering and Thinking to Transform Transitions programme with the University of Edinburgh which aims to improve outcomes for older people with multiple long term medical conditions. Tim’s leadership continues to influence national policies and industry standards, driving innovation that benefits both industry and society. Lampros Litos Lampros graduated from the School of Chemical Engineering (University of Patras) with a specialisation in Materials Technology and followed on with MSc in Biotechnology (Ulster University) before starting to work in a leading Greek agri-food company in Quality and R&D roles. Whilst in industry he was awarded an MBA from the University of Ioannina and in 2012 he was recruited as a doctoral researcher at EPSRC’s Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability (CIMIS), based at Cambridge University. Lampros went back to manufacturing and business management roles in 2015 and developed additional research interests in innovation management, pre-competitiveness and knowledge exchange. Lampros joined Cranfield University in 2022 as Lecturer in Sustainable Manufacturing Operations. Lampros is a manufacturing research and sustainability expert with a special focus on capability development in managing energy, resources, and waste. Wei Liu Professor Wei Liu is a Professor of Design Engineering and Innovation at King’s College London, with extensive teaching, research and leadership experience across design, engineering and management. Wei completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge and was Visiting Fellow at Harvard University where she explored design education in interdisciplinary fields. Before joining King’s, Wei conducted academic research and teaching in the UK, US and China. She has won many Academic Awards for Teaching Excellency and is recognised as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in the UK. In 2021, she was elected Director and Executive Board Member of Design in Engineering, Education Division, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). In 2022, she was the only nominee in the excellency category of Innovation in Teaching to represent the faculty. In 2024, she was the winner of the King’s Education Award across the University. The students under her supervision have won top global recognition, e.g. Overall Winner of DMI Essay Competition, Grand Prize Winner of international Tech Entrepreneurship Competition, NYJ Top 30 Women Leaders, and Schwarzman Scholarship. Wei has rich experience of conducting interdisciplinary research and obtained over £6.3 million research grants from EPSRC, NIHR and other prestigious funding bodies. Her research outputs have successfully filed two invention patents, and have been published in the leading Design, Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Management journals such as Design Science, Rapid Prototyping Journal, 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing, Sustainable Production and Consumption, California Management Review, Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, JMIR Aging, and R&D Management. Her paper has been recognised as one of the Top Cited and Most Downloaded papers of the year by Wiley. She won the Best Paper Award from the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) Conference and the British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference. She has been awarded the N.E.J. Stevenson Award for Outstanding Contribution to Research by the Design and Technology Association. Wei also has professional design experience in world-leading business and design consultancies (BCG, IBM and TEAMS Design), where she led the design and development of consumer goods, industrial products and digital products for global top brands. Many of her designed products have been produced and sold in the market. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA). Wei is co-editor of The Design Journal, the official journal of the European Academy of Design (EAD) and one of the top journals in the global design research area. She is a full member of EPSRC Review College and an international reviewer for the Austrian Science Fund. She has also served as external examiner and judge panel member for different international events, such as degree programme review, international design competitions and academic promotion. Moreover, she has been the session chair, keynote speaker, conference committee member, and scientific review committee member for many international conferences. Claire Lucas Claire is a Professor of Engineering Teaching and Learning and the Deputy Head of Department (Education) in the Department of Engineering at King’s College London. Since the department’s relaunch in 2020, she has led engineering education research and implementation initiatives aimed at transforming and disrupting engineering pedagogy. Her research focuses on defining and improving the engineering profession, advocating for a shift from traditional ways of knowing and doing to new ways of thinking and becoming, for which she has established an innovative ‘create-first’ pedagogy. Claire is a strong advocate for new academic structures and models that can drive new curricular topologies – recognising the impact of traditional silos on the design of engineering education. She leads a diverse team of academics that integrate a variety of disciplinary and cultural backgrounds and experiences. Claire is a fellow of the IMechE and a Senior Fellow in HE. She was the deputy chair of the 2022 QAA Subject Benchmark Statement and is an experienced academic accreditor for the IET, as well as a member of their Academic Accreditation Committee. In 2020, Claire was named one of the top 50 women in Engineering for her work in Engineering Education and she was awarded the Women’s Engineering Society Prize at the IET’s Young Women Engineer of the Year in 2019. Mara-Tafadzwa Makoni Mara-Tafadzwa Makoni is an experienced, analytical and innovative Systems Engineering Consultant with a proven record of stakeholder management, strategic planning, project delivery and data interpretation. She is a team player who combines management, technical and social skills in designing and executing complex projects to successful completion. Mara has provided specialist advice on transformation, risk governance and operational requirements, working with multi-disciplinary teams in the safety risk assessment of operational design, from feasibility to detailed design, construction, and monitoring. Mara is particularly skilled at relationship building across organisations, she is able to identify and strategically align stakeholder interests to create shared advantage. She has a keen interest in leveraging her in-depth understanding of systems thinking and sustainable development. Mara-Tafadzwa Makoni is also a highly experienced and award-winning equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) subject matter expert with more than ten years’ experience in conceptualising, developing and implementing private and public sector initiatives and community projects. Professor Abel Nyamapfene Professor Abel Nyamapfene is a seasoned leader in engineering education, with extensive teaching experience in areas such as Computer Science and AI, Electronics and Power Engineering, Engineering Mathematics, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. He has held leadership roles in module and programme development at six universities across Africa and the UK. Notably, he spearheaded the launch of two successful academic programmes: the UCL MSc in Engineering & Education, and the Bachelor of Business Management and Information Technology Honours Degree at the Catholic University of Zimbabwe (CUZ). As a founding member of UCL’s award-winning Integrated Engineering Programme (IEP), he played a key role in shaping the institution’s undergraduate engineering courses. Prior to this, he modernised the MSc Electrical Power Systems Distance Learning programme at the University of Bath and reformed the common first year of undergraduate engineering programmes at the University of Exeter. Professor Nyamapfene is a prolific contributor to engineering curriculum reform, having published extensively and delivered over 20 keynote addresses and invited talks across five continents. Andrew Pemberton Dr. Manoj Ravi Dr. Manoj Ravi is a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering and a Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA). Dr. Ravi leads several pedagogic research projects spanning sustainability, artificial intelligence, authentic assessments and curriculum design. He has been an advocate of integrating systems thinking competencies in the taught curriculum and has presented related findings at conferences and in journal articles (‘Identifying opportunities to promote systems thinking in catalysis education’, Journal of Chemical Education, 2021; ‘Spectroscopic Methods for Pollution Analysis – Course Development and Delivery Using the Integrated Course Design Framework’, Journal of Chemical Education 2023). In these endeavours, Dr. Ravi has explored embedding systems thinking abilities through the lens of constructive alignment – exploring its integration into learning outcomes, design of participatory learning activities, and assessment design. Dr. Ravi has previously contributed to EPC’s Sustainability Toolkit, both as an author and a reviewer. Chelsea Salinas Chelsea Salinas is a Teaching Professor at the Colorado School of Mines (USA) in the Engineering, Design & Society Department. She is an experienced instructor with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry, skilled in Design Engineering, Systems Modelling, Inclusive Design, and Curricula and Programme Development. Dr. Salinas earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and her MS and PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is passionate about design for people with disabilities, creating an engaging classroom, using active learning techniques and integrating user-centered design approaches to create a targeted and meaningful experience for her students. Natalie Wint Natalie Wint is a lecturer within the Department for Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) at University College London (UCL). She has experience in transdisciplinary teaching, quality assurance and curriculum design/ review and research into professional skills and the differences between engineering practice and education. Coming soon Coming soon 
University of Oxford (Co-Chair)
Dr. Nikita Hari is the Head of the Teaching and Research Design Support Group at the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, where she oversees practical engineering education for the department. A multi-award-winning engineer, she was inducted into the UK Young Academy in 2024, listed in Engineers Making a Difference book by Imperial College London, recognised among the Top 50 Women in Engineering (WES UK, 2017), and named a Clinton Global Changemaker (2018). She holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cambridge and the Faculty for Future Postdoctoral Fellowship at Oxford.
As co-chair of the Complex Systems Toolkit Working Group, Dr. Hari brings her experience in systems thinking and interdisciplinary research to advance educational strategies that address complex, socio-technical engineering challenges. She has co-founded two Edtech companies and served in key leadership roles, including CTO and COO, to drive innovation and inclusivity at the intersection of engineering, education, and entrepreneurship. A TEDx speaker and STEM advocate, Dr. Hari is dedicated to uplifting marginalised voices, especially women in STEM, and inspiring future change-makers to engineer a sustainable future.
Quanser (Co-Chair)
MathWorks
RB Systems
King’s College London
Oxa / Imperial College London / University of Birmingham
HancockHamlin / University of Huddersfield
University of the West of England
University College London
Engineering Professors’ Council, NMITE, ENU (Project Manager)
Edinburgh Systems / Heriot-Watt University / The University of Edinburgh
Cranfield University
King’s College London
King’s College London
PA Consulting
University College London
INCOSE UK / Thales
University of Leeds
Colorado School of Mines
University College London