TITLE : Graduate Student

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Design Theory, Preference Modeling, Computational Design and Optimization, Cognitive Neuroscience, fMRI

Brian Sylcott, Ph.D. Candidate

is a Ph.D. candidate in the Mechanical Engineering department at Carnegie Mellon University and is advised by Dr. Jonathan Cagan. He received his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in engineering design from Carnegie Mellon in 2006. After graduation he spent two years working in the energy industry. In 2008 Brian returned to Carnegie Mellon to pursue his passion for design. He received his Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2010 and is presently working towards his doctorate. Brian is a recipient of the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship and the Bertucci Fellowship.

He is currently researching methods to model consumer preference when form and function are in conflict. The goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of how consumers make purchasing decision under real world conditions. This research combines methods from several disciplines including engineering, marketing, and cognitive neuroscience.