Associate Lector AI Engineering
Dr. P.M. (Petra) Heck
Petra Heck studied Computer Science at the Technical University of Eindhoven and obtained her doctorate in 2016 at the Technical University of Delft with a thesis on the topic of 'Quality of Just-in-Time Requirements'. In early 2012, she started working as a lecturer in software engineering at Fontys University of Applied Sciences ICT. After obtaining her PhD, she decided to study the topic of AI engineering in greater depth as a senior researcher in the AI & Big Data research group.
From 2019 to 2021, Petra Heck worked on her postdoctoral research, focusing on machine learning. For this, she sought to answer the question, “how to create production-ready machine learning software?” Given the developments in AI and GenAI, this is still a topical research question. Heck: “I would like to answer this question in practice-oriented and innovative projects together with students, lecturers and professional partners, preferably in a transdisciplinary team that also includes non-ICT specialists.” Her main focus is learning about the application and development of production-ready AI systems, in order to shape the field of AI engineering. “As a senior researcher, I have an expert role in these projects, but I also supervise colleagues and students in doing applied AI engineering research. I am also responsible for sharing knowledge with the work field and education.”
