PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

David G. Ullman

Also known as David Ullman, Dave G. Ullman

David Ullman is a mechanical design researcher whose work includes a model of mechanical design and AI methods for engineering decisions. He earned aerospace and mechanical engineering degrees, then joined Oregon State and built a design research group. His textbook The Mechanical Design Process has served engineering students and practitioners since 1992; he later developed AI methods for decisions under uncertainty and coauthored Product Design Best Practices in 2025. Since 2017, he has been developing distributed electric propulsion for aircraft. As of October 2026, he is Professor Emeritus at Oregon State and provides product design consulting and training.

Works
63
Citations
1,796
h-index
20
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1968–1978

    Engineering degrees

    He earns a bachelor's and master's in aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati in 1968 and 1970, then completes a PhD in mechanical engineering at Ohio State in 1978.

  2. 1980s

    A design research group

    He joins Oregon State's Department of Mechanical Engineering as an associate professor in 1984 and establishes the Design Process Research Group. In the mid-1980s, he joins other academics in treating design as a formal research field.

  3. 1988

    Modeling mechanical design

    With Thomas G. Dietterich and Larry A. Stauffer, he develops the task/episode accumulation model of non-routine mechanical design from audio and video protocols of five designers.

  4. 1992

    The Mechanical Design Process

    Since 1992, students and practitioners use The Mechanical Design Process to develop quality, robust products.

  5. 1995–2006

    AI for design decisions

    Since 1995, he develops AI methods and tools to support decisions under uncertain, conflicting, incomplete, and evolving information. In 2006, he publishes Making Robust Decisions, combining more than ten years of decision-support study with modern AI concepts.

  6. Since 2017

    Electric aircraft development

    Since 2017, he has been developing distributed electric propulsion with upper surface blowing for an eSTOL aircraft.

  7. 2025

    Product Design Best Practices

    He coauthors the 2025 first edition of Product Design Best Practices, which combines mechanical, electrical, and software design processes.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor emeritus and consultant

    He is Professor Emeritus at Oregon State and provides product design consulting and training.

Career

  1. Since 1984Oregon State UniversityAssociate Professor

Education

  1. 1978Ohio State UniversityPhD in mechanical engineering
  2. 1970University of CincinnatiBachelor's and master's in aerospace engineering

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Most-cited works

  1. The importance of drawing in the mechanical design process1990 · Computers & Graphics · 402 citations
  2. A model of the mechanical design process based on empirical data1988 · Artificial intelligence for engineering design analysis and manufacturing · 331 citationsWith Thomas Glen Dietterich
  3. Toward the ideal mechanical engineering design support system2002 · Research in Engineering Design · 111 citations
  4. Robust decision-making for engineering design2001 · Journal of Engineering Design · 108 citations
  5. The information requests of mechanical design engineers1991 · Design Studies · 97 citations

From OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Oregon State University. Our estimates of where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led, from education records in cited biographies.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers rose from 2% to 32%Includes Oregon State University. We estimate where leading AI researchers worked when their most-cited papers appeared. The company share rose from 2% in 1975–1979 to 32% in 2020–2024.
  3. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes Oregon State University. Our estimates of combined and median h-index at AI organizations, using current affiliations and OpenAlex records.
  4. Stanford University trained or employed 20 of the 89 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Ohio State University. Stanford University trained or employed 20 of the 89 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and employment links for major-prize and best-paper winners.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of David G. Ullman yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. David G. Ullman - Resume web.engr.oregonstate.edu. Checked 19 October 2026.
  2. 25 Years of Design Theory and Methodology asmejmd.org. Checked 19 October 2026.
  3. A model of the mechanical design process based on empirical data cambridge.org. Checked 19 October 2026.
  4. Mechanical Design Process - David G. Ullman mechdesignprocess.com. Checked 19 October 2026.
  5. Decision Architect | David G. Ullman davidullman.com. Checked 19 October 2026.
  6. Making Robust Decisions: Decision Management for Technical, Business, and Service Teams books.google.com. Checked 19 October 2026.
  7. Home | David G. Ullman davidullman.com. Checked 19 October 2026.
  8. BVT Publishing - Product Design Best Practices 1 bvtpublishing.com. Checked 19 October 2026.
  9. Faculty | Design Engineering Lab | Oregon State University design.engr.oregonstate.edu. Checked 19 October 2026.