Gianluca Piazza

Gianluca Piazza is the STMicroelectronics Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), with a courtesy appointment in Mechanical Engineering. He directs the John and Claire Bertucci Nanotechnology Laboratory (CMU Nanofab). Previously, he was the Wilf Family Term Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on piezoelectric micro/nano electromechanical systems (M/NEMS) for RF communication, optomechanics, chemical/biological sensing, and mechanical computing. Key projects include nanorelays for low-power computing, ultrasound-based wireless powering, and piezoelectric MEMS for energy harvesting.

Education: PhD (2005) in Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley; MS (2001) from University of Texas at Austin and Politecnico di Milano (Italy).

Research Interests: M/NEMS design, micro/nano fabrication, piezoelectric materials, mechanical switches, and energy-efficient electronics. His work bridges fundamental science and applied engineering, with patents in micromechanical resonators and awards including the IBM Young Faculty Award (2006) and multiple IEEE Best Paper Awards.

Grants & Collaborations: NSF LEAP-HI grant ($2M) for nanorelay development (2020); CMU Kavčić-Moura Endowment funding. Collaborates with Maarten de Boer (Mechanical Engineering) and institutions like the University of Pennsylvania and City University of Hong Kong.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Piazza Micro and Nano Systems Laboratory, focusing on NEMS/MEMS innovation. Active in CMU’s Center for Silicon System Implementation and Engineering Research Accelerator.