Kate Whitefoot

Kate Whitefoot is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, with a courtesy appointment in the Heinz College. She leads the Whitefoot Research Group, focusing on sustainable technology development, adoption, and policy. Her roles include Associate Director of the Critical Technology Initiative and Fellow of the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. She holds joint appointments in two departments and has affiliations with the NextManufacturing Center and the Manufacturing Futures Institute.

Education:

• Ph.D., Design Science (Mechanical Engineering & Economics), University of Michigan (2011)
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan (2008)
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan (2006)

Research Focus: Her work bridges engineering design and economics to address challenges in sustainable transportation, energy systems, and advanced manufacturing. Key areas include product design optimization, policy analysis for decarbonization, and the labor impacts of technological change. She collaborates with industry leaders in automotive, energy storage, and aerospace sectors.

Awards & Recognition:

• Fellow of the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
• National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Program awardee

Advising & Grants: Supervises a team of doctoral researchers and has advised numerous students now in academia and industry. Her grants include seed funding for clean hydrogen production and AI hardware efficiency. She leads initiatives on decarbonizing transportation and advises federal agencies like the Department of Energy.

Labs & Partnerships: Director of the Whitefoot Research Group and a thrust leader at the NextManufacturing Center. Partners with AVL AST for advanced simulation technologies, enhancing research in automotive design and manufacturing systems.