Rate My Professor Claire Lucas

Professor Claire Lucas serves as Executive Dean of the School of Engineering and Innovation and Professor at Aston University. A Chartered Engineer (CEng), Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA), and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET), she earned her MEng in Engineering Science and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Oxford, completing her doctorate in 2012 with the thesis 'A mathematical model of the cerebral vasculature.' Previously at the University of Warwick, she held positions as Professor of Engineering Education & Skills, Deputy Head (Education) in the Department of Engineering, and Director of Graduate Studies. Claire joined Aston University in September 2025.

Her research focuses on the development of professional skills and workforce capability in engineering and technical disciplines, examining how education systems, professional standards, and industry practices shape engineers' knowledge, skills, and behaviors for complex technological environments. She has pioneered curriculum transformation, project-based learning, and integration of technical and behavioral competencies, introducing the 'key-shaped engineer' framework and the first behavioral skills taxonomy for engineering. Claire contributes to national engineering skills discussions. She holds key external roles including Trustee of the UK Electronic Skills Foundation (since 2026), Member of the Registration Standards Committee (since 2025), Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering's Education and Skills Committee (since 2023), and Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology's Academic Accreditation Committee. Awards include election as Fellow (2026), Top 50 Women in Engineering (2020), and IET Young Women Engineer of the Year - WES Prize (2019). Notable publications are 'A systematic review of design thinking implementations in higher engineering education' (2026, European Journal of Engineering Education), 'General Engineering Non-Technical Skills Behavioral Marking System: Video-Simulation Validation Workshop' (2025, SEFI), 'Engineering Non-technical Skills Behavioral Taxonomy: A Sort and Grid Workshop' (2024, SEFI), and 'Strategies for embedding simulation in open-ended engineering design education' (2023). She presented the inaugural lecture 'Unlocking the future: A case for key-shaped engineers' at Aston University.