Joshua M. Pearce

Dr. Joshua M. Pearce is a Professor at Western University, holding appointments in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Ivey Business School. He is the John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation at the Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership & Innovation and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. His research focuses on open-source appropriate technology for sustainability and poverty reduction, spanning solar photovoltaics, 3D printing, distributed recycling, and policy analysis.

• Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from Pennsylvania State University
• Former Richard Witte Professor at Michigan Tech
• Editor-in-Chief of HardwareX
• Author of multiple open-source sustainability books

His work integrates engineering, economics, and policy to solve global sustainability challenges. Recent projects include agrivoltaic systems, open-source medical devices, and climate-resilient food production frameworks. He leads the Free Appropriate Sustainability Technology (FAST) research group, which has produced over 200 open-access publications cited in top-tier journals like Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (IF=16.3) and HardwareX (IF=2).

Dr. Pearce's scientific contributions include:

• Fulbright-Aalto University Distinguished Chair
• Top 0.06% most cited scientist (Elsevier metrics)
• Leading open-source hardware certification frameworks
• Developing low-cost scientific instruments

His research team includes cross-disciplinary collaborators from Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Science, and Policy Studies. The FAST group emphasizes practical open-source solutions for energy, water, and food security in both developed and low-resource contexts.