Background
Dr Melanie King has an undergraduate degree in Architecture and a doctorate in Computer Science from Loughborough University.
Starting out as a CAD and GIS technician Melanie moved into software engineering and systems development. From 2011 and 2016, she was the Head of Loughborough’s Centre for Engineering and Design Education (CEDE) and then Head of Digital Innovation, where she managed a highly successful team comprising technologists, educationalists, researchers and students delivering enhancement projects locally and nationally through internal, research and enterprise income. In 2017 she became a Lecturer in Systems Engineering, in 2020 gained recognition as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and in 2023 became a Senior Lecturer.
Dr King is both a technologist and academic, and developed a variety of software and IT systems such as integrated information systems, web applications, laboratory simulation software, data architectures and digital services. She is also an experienced IT and Project Manager with certifications as an Enterprise Architect (TOGAF 9.0 Certified).
Qualifications
- PhD, Department of Computer Science, Loughborough University (2017). ‘The Realist Evaluation of Educational Technology’
Main Research Interests
Dr King is a member of the Systems Engineering and Complexity Research Group and Advanced VR Research Centre at Loughborough University.
Research Topics
Dr King has conducted research and development within the following topics: Developing a technical proof of concept and holistic design for a Product Passport system and associated data model for Digital Product Passports in support of the Circular Economy; What works in evaluation of technology in HEIs; AI, Big Data and data technologies within the UK Insurance Sector; Hackathons with Airbus; Designing ‘Heat-as-a-Service’ Digitally Enhanced Advanced Service Systems with a UK Boiler Manufacturer and the wider Energy Market; The role of citizen participation in co-designing Smart Cities; Using applied ‘futures’ methods and systems of systems engineering to evaluate future advanced mobility services within the rail transport industry in conjunction with the rolling stock company.
Research Aims
Through research and development projects Dr King aims to exploit the discipline of Systems of Systems (SoS) Engineering and Enterprise Engineering, and contribute to knowledge and impact in the following areas:
- Digital innovation and digital transformation within enterprises and/or complex multi-stakeholder projects, particularly to understand the application and value of systems engineering adoption, Enterprise Architecture, and System of Systems (SoS) perspectives.
- Information engineering, data technologies, AI/ML, smart systems, trust and ethics.
- Futures and foresight research methods.
- Evaluation & realist methodologies to understand real-world impact and consequences of systems implementation, particularly ‘what works’ (or what does not work) in the lifecycle of complex socio-technical integrated systems. Methods specifically to address complexity issues, in relation to development and embedding of socio-technical systems, into organisational and social systems that are in constant flux.
- Human and contextual factors and how they link to our understanding of emergent properties of complex systems.
Grants and Contracts
- 2024 EPSRC Impact Accelerator (PI): Open Product Initiative: Data Standards for towards a Circular Economy (03/24) (via Loughborough University Accelerator Fund)
- 2022 ESRC (PI): Battery Passports: Readiness of the UK Battery Manufacturing Sector, Ecosystem Opportunities & Implications for UK Industrial Policy (12/22) (via Made Smarter Network+ ESRC grant ES/W007231/1)
- 2021 EPSRC (PI): Data Innovations for Product Passports: A System of Systems Approach Towards Industry Symbiosis (07/21) University consortium: Loughborough (lead), Sheffield Hallam. (EPSRC grant EP/S036091/1)
- 2020 EPSRC (PI): Exploring future Advanced Services developments and collaborations for a ROSCO (Rolling stock operating company) using a systems thinking approach, (09/20), University consortium: Loughborough (lead), Sheffield Hallam, Industrial partner: Porterbrook
- 2019 EPSRC (PhD Studentship): Intelligent product-service systems in smart cities: Advancing co-design and systems engineering practices. (Parent EPSRC grant EP/R513088/1 – Project ref 2299741)
- 2019 EPSRC (CI): A Digital Twin Platform of the Customer Journey for Future BAXI Advanced Services, (07/19) University consortium: Sheffield Hallam (lead), Loughborough, Manchester, Northumbria, Aston. Industrial partners: Baxi Boilers.
- 2019 EPSRC (PhD Studentship): What works in complex System of Systems (SoS) Environments. (Parent EPSRC grant EP/R513088/1 – Project ref 2161423)
- 2018 Innovate UK & ESRC (CI): Technology Driven Change and Next Generation Insurance Services (TECHNGI), (11/18), University consortium: Loughborough (lead), Exeter, Queen Mary, Reading. Industrial Partners: BGL Group, IBM, JLR, Lloyds, PWC, SCOR, WTW, Z/Yen Group. (ESRC grant ES/S010416/1)
- 2011 EPSRC (PI): Kit-Catalogue® open source equipment catalogue system & the ‘Uniquip’ open data publishing specification project, (10/11), University consortium: Loughborough (lead: kit-catalogue), Southampton (lead Uniquip), Bath, Northumbria.
Current teaching responsibilities
Undergraduate:
- WSC/D500 – Final Year Project Supervision
- WSD574 – Machine Learning: Principles and Applications for Engineers
Postgraduate:
- WSP062/762 – Applied Systems Thinking
- WSP074 – Machine Learning: Principles and Applications for Engineers
External collaborators
Dr King has worked on research and enterprise projects with organisations in the following industries:
- Technology
- Energy
- Rail
- Financial Services (Insurance)
- Manufacturing
- Defense
- Waste and Education