Howard M. Wilkoff Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Faculty Director, Manufacturing Futures Institute
Courtesy Appointments, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Institute
Gary K. Fedder is the faculty director of the Manufacturing Futures Institute and the Howard M. Wilkoff Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He previously served as founding president and interim CEO of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute (2016, 2020), as well as serving in administrative roles at Carnegie Mellon as vice provost for research (2015-2016, 2018), associate dean for research in the College of Engineering (2013-2015), and director of the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems, which was the precursor to the Engineering Research Accelerator (2006-2014). Fedder received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) from MIT in 1982 and 1984, respectively, and his Ph.D. in EECS from the University of California at Berkeley in 1994.
Fedder worked at Hewlett-Packard as a research and design engineer from 1984 to 1989 on design of integrated circuit test equipment, development of diagnostic software for data storage, and high-speed printed circuit board manufacturing at HP Labs. His research interests include design and manufacturing of MEMS (microelectromechanical systems), micro/nanosensors, and stretchable electronics, and in digital twin systems for manufacturing. He has contributed to more than 300 research publications and holds 21 patents. He is an IEEE Fellow for contributions to integrated MEMS. He served as subject editor for IEEE J. MEMS from 2002-2013 and currently serves on the executive editorial board for the IoP J. Micromechanics and Microengineering, as a member of the editorial board for IET Micro & Nano Letters, and as co-editor of the Wiley-VCH Advanced Micro- and Nanosystems book series.
From 2011 to 2012, Fedder served as a technical co-lead in the U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Partnership where he worked with industry, academia, and government to generate recommendations that motivated the launch of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, now called Manufacturing USA.
1994 Ph.D., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley
1984 MS, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1982 BS, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
CMU Engineering
A new method for creating superhydrophobic surfaces offers precise control over the shape and location of the structures, while requiring no post processing.
Siemens
Siemens calls MFI's Gary Fedder a reliable partner, practical innovator, and a visionary who inspires and guides the development of cutting-edge products and processes that will help to fully digitize and automate manufacturing in the future.
SME Media: Advanced Manufacturing
Manufacturing Futures Institute director Gary Fedder says companies know their pain points, “But they need to have some de-risking, some assurance of, ‘Okay, if I’m going to invest in this vendor to do this, I have some assurance I’m going to get what I want out of it.’”
CMU Engineering
The Manufacturing Futures Institute empowers industry with the science and technology needed to accelerate U.S. manufacturing.
CMU Engineering
A CMU-led project team secured an award of up to $42M from ARPA-H to accelerate the development of implantable bioelectronic devices that deliver patient-specific therapy and monitor disease status.
CMU Engineering
MFI director’s keynote highlights how AI is being used to advance robotics, additive manufacturing, and digital twin technology at AIMST conference.
CMU Engineering
Carmel Majidi will lead a research thrust in a new multi-institutional collaboration to launch an NSF ERC dedicated to revolutionizing the ability of robots to amplify human labor.
CMU Engineering
Increasing investments by private foundations and the federal government are propelling MFI and its partners as leaders in the advancement of robotic applications for manufacturing.
CMU Engineering
Three College of Engineering faculty members have been elevated to the rank of University Professor, the highest distinction a faculty member can receive at Carnegie Mellon.
CMU Engineering
Digital backbone at Mill 19 will make data readily available for advancing digital twin and AI-related manufacturing research.
CMU Engineering
New testbed at Mill 19, that will test and advance robotic assembly and disassembly using Lego® bricks, will also be used to study other robotic functions in manufacturing.
Supply Chain Dive
ECE’s Gary Fedder spoke to Supply Chain Dive about the promise of digital twins and their potential to address supply chain issues. “One can do basically virtual experiments to understand: How do you make the factory more efficient?” Fedder said.
