Tilke Devriese was a Belgian 2025-26 Visiting Student Researcher in Engineering at Princeton University. Tilke’s research builds on her background as both architect and structural engineer. In her PhD, she reconstructs recent building design processes to examine how architects and engineers mediate knowledge and power through design documents. She earned her ‘Master of Science in engineering: Architecture’ magna cum laude from Ghent University in 2012, and later completed additional coursework in civil engineering. Alongside her research, Tilke teaches in design studios and several courses, supports departmental initiatives, and works to broaden the views on structural engineering and construction in architectural education.
Q: “Can you briefly describe your grant project?”
For my doctoral thesis, I look into three recent, real-world building design processes through the archives of architects, structural engineers and other actors in the process. From the premise that building design processes are inherently collaborative, complex and require to navigate a vast amount and great variety of knowledge, I focus on the use and roles of several design documents, rendering them as constitutive to a multi-modal, socio-technical knowledge infrastructure that enables building design. Thanks to the Fulbright scholarship, I was able to do a four-month research visit at the engineering department of Princeton University.
Q: “How did you hear about the Fulbright Program?”
When a research stay at Princeton University was suggested to me by Professor Sigrid Adriaenssens, she advised me to look into scholarships. The Fulbright Program was an ideal fit for my profile and goals. While I learned that becoming a Fulbright grantee requires true engagement, seeing the application process in itself as a rich learning opportunity motivated me. Ghent University, my home institution, provides thorough coaching for applicants. Looking back, the training interview was the most memorable for me, and it really showed me how to prepare for the final Fulbright-interview.
Q: “What have you accomplished during your time in the USA? What can you tell us about the initial outcomes of your program?”
In terms of research, I was able to take some big leaps in furthering my PhD-project, and more importantly, I could meet, discuss my project and build a network with various key scholars in my field of research. Moreover, on a personal level, I think that one of the most important outcomes will be that I even more understood how we always should try to see the many shades of grey of reality and keep listening to one another.
Q: “Can you describe a typical day in your life in the USA?”
When I was not enjoying one of the many libraries of the university, my typical workday entailed writing for my PhD project or preparing conference presentations at my desk in a shared office space. Sharing office life with colleagues in different fields of engineering allows for in-depth conversations about a rich variety of research projects, varieties in academic cultures and personal views and ambitions. Moreover, there was a fixed week-schedule: Every Tuesday, I had research meetings with the Form Finding Lab. Every other week we had group meetings, where members presented their work in depth and organizational matters were discussed. The weeks in between, I had generous personal guidance sessions with professor Adriaenssens. Moreover, the university offered an abundance of interesting lectures in all kinds of fields and a broad range of additional training and activities, of which I tried to fully take advantage. At last, during weekends, me and my family tried to visit as much of New York, Philadelphia or the surroundings as we could.
Q: “Has the United States been what you expected? In what ways has life in the USA surprised you, either for its similarities to or differences from your own culture.”
USA-life surprised me both in its similarities and differences to Belgian culture. The most striking difference I found was maybe the presence of and the respect for the flag. Everywhere you look, you’ll see the Stars and Stripes and I do believe that such a symbol can be very powerful to create unity among very different people. In Belgium, there is very little presence of the national symbol in public space. Moreover, I was struck by how palpable the history of the country and the ‘old’ European culture is, for example in the many locations that are named after places in Europe.
Q: “What has been your favorite “discovery” in the USA?”
There were many things, but my favorite was that the USA has a great variety of delicious baked goods! Next level donuts and bagels are one thing, but the fritters, crullers, freshly made pretzels, soda bread or challah were really a discovery. A few weeks before we arrived in the USA, The New York Times listed the twenty best pastries of New York. We mapped all those locations and let these guide us during our explorations of New York.
Q: “What has it been like to bring family members with you to the USA? What has the experience been like for them?”
My husband and our freshly turned four-year-old daughter joined me on this adventure, and this allowed us to see how child-friendly the places we visited were. In Princeton and New York, there is an abundance of well-maintained playgrounds, in restaurants people automatically accommodate children and in general people are very engaged towards little ones. We were very privileged, since in Princeton, the public library, the university library and the university museum organize weekly reading and high quality crafts-activities. With swimming class and a gym class, it became unclear whether I or my family had the busiest schedule. In the end, we decided to send a large post-package home filled with the best of her creations.
Q: “What misconceptions do you think other Belgians have about the USA? What do you know now about the USA/Americans that you wish everyone knew?”
The USA is an enormous territory that entails such a variety of landscapes, cultures and people, which is at odds with general stereotypes. I also found that Americans are kind and open-hearted and learned that their easy complimenting is part of an enthusiastic and positive attitude. It is a pity to understand it as a superficial kind of behavior.
Q: “What will you do after your Fulbright grant? In what ways has your experience in the USA this year impacted your plans for the future?”
My first big thing to do after the research stay is finalizing my PhD and defending my thesis. Although I have several years of experience in practice and I initially imagined myself to go back after this academic endeavor, it feels like this research stay gave me a taste of the international life academics often have, which allows me to fully consider the option to pursue a – potentially international – academic career.
Q: “What advice would you give to someone who is considering applying to the Fulbright Program?”
I would advise to go for it, with an open mind and an open heart – both for the application procedure, as for a stay in the USA. For the application: make sure to properly prepare your dossier, and if you are invited, for the interview. I practiced the interview with various friends and prepared for a wide range of dummy questions. This has been very valuable, also beyond the application procedure, because it forces you to sharpen your research project and trains you to explain it in a clear way.
Articles are written by Fulbright grantees and do not reflect the opinions of the Fulbright Commission, the grantees’ host institutions, or the U.S. Department of State.