Deborah Thurston

ISE professor Deborah Thurston is doing research as part of a sustainability design team endowed with a $70 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Thurston came to Illinois in 1987 after finishing her Ph.D. at MIT. She has been with the industrial engineering department for thirty years and has taught classes on topics such as linear programming and engineering economy.

Thurston is passionate about sustainable engineering and hopes to see her research ameliorate the uncertain future of our environment. She also enjoys keeping up with the accomplishments of her former students.

“The thing I’m most proud of is actually the students who are out there,” Thurston said. “It’s so rewarding to interact with our students who have been successful and then see their children considering coming to Illinois.”

Read about Thurston’s dynamic career and current project here.

Article & Photo: Charlotte Collins, ISE Illinois

Video: Engineering at Illinois

Vignette: Taylor Tucker, May 2018

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