Fred A. Kish

Fred A. Kish is the MC Dean Distinguished Professor and Director of the NC State Nanofabrication Facility at North Carolina State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1992). His research focuses on Photonics, Optoelectronic Devices, and Compound Semiconductor Materials, with emphasis on photonic integrated circuits (PICs), quantum information science, and semiconductor material engineering. He has co-invented foundational technologies for LEDs, VCSELs, and large-scale PICs, contributing over $7B in commercialized products. His leadership includes roles at Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies, and Infinera Corporation, where he pioneered optical communication systems.

Dr. Kish is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Optica, and IEEE, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. His awards include the IEEE David Sarnoff Award and the John S. Risley Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He has authored 170+ peer-reviewed publications, 135+ patents, and 5 book chapters. His current work drives advancements in wide bandgap semiconductors and photonic integration for next-generation communications and sensors.

Labs/Teams: Directs the NC State Nanofabrication Facility, a hub for semiconductor innovation. Collaborates on the CLAWS Hub, a $39.4M CHIPS Act-funded regional semiconductor innovation initiative.