Elizabeth Gerber

Elizabeth Gerber is a Professor at Northwestern University in the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science (by courtesy), and Communication Studies. She co-directs the Center for Human-Computer Interaction + Design and founded the Delta Lab and the award-winning initiative Design for America, which has expanded to 42 schools and 4,000+ members.

• Ph.D. in Management Science & Engineering, Stanford University
• M.S. in Product Design, Stanford University
• B.A. in Art and Engineering, Dartmouth College

Her research focuses on collective innovation, examining how technology can harness distributed networks to solve complex societal challenges. She pioneered frameworks for crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, and social innovation networks, emphasizing stakeholder engagement and equitable participation. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and Microsoft.

Recent publications explore human-AI coaching systems, algorithmic fairness, and metacognitive frameworks for design iteration. She has received the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt Design Award and was featured in Wired, Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review.

• Advising: Mentors PhD students like Evey Huang and Julie Hui, and leads initiatives such as Design for America.
• Labs & Teams: Directs the Delta Lab and Center for Human-Computer Interaction + Design, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.