Kate Whitefoot
Associate Professor, Engineering and Public Policy, Mechanical Engineering
Courtesy Appointment, Heinz College
Kate Whitefoot is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. She is an associate editor of the Journal of Mechanical Design, a Fellow of Carnegie Mellon University’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, and a member of the NextManufacturing Center for additive manufacturing research. Prior to her current position, she served as a senior program officer and the Robert A. Pritzker fellow at the National Academy of Engineering, where she directed the Academy’s Manufacturing, Design, and Innovation program.
Whitefoot’s research bridges engineering design theory and analysis with that of economics to inform technology and product development and public policy. Her recent work has focused on technologies and policies that reduce transportation energy use and emissions, including greenhouse gas emission regulations, the transition to electric vehicles and low-carbon energy sources, and vehicle lightweighting.
Whitefoot has gained recognition nationally and internationally for her research and teaching. She received the NSF CAREER Award, ASME’s Design Automation Committee Young Investigator Award, and the Freeman and Nelson Best Paper Award, and was selected by the NAE’s Frontiers of Engineering. as an emerging engineering leader. Her work is featured in the Atlantic, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post and referenced in multiple rulemakings by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency. She has worked with several companies, including Boeing, Cummins, Ford, and IBM, and has been invited to present briefings at the White House, Capitol Hill, the Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Clean Air as a Human Right
Improving the Adoption of New Products in the Marketplace
Education
2011 Ph.D., Design Science (mechanical engineering & economics), University of Michigan
2008 MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
2006 BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
Affiliations
Media mentions
Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
Scott Institute announces 2025 seed grant winners
This year’s seed awards will help grow research in clean hydrogen production, AI hardware efficiency, and decarbonizing transportation.
Electric Apparatus
Whitefoot quoted on electric vehicle adoption in the U.S.
EPP/MechE's Kate Whitefoot was quoted in Electrical Apparatus about how half of new car and SUV buyers in the U.S. say they would purchase a fully electric vehicle by 2030 if they had a 300-mile range, were more widely available, and continued to fall in price.
IBM
Whitefoot discusses digital twin technology
EPP/MechE's Kate Whitefoot was quoted in an IBM newsletter about how digital twin technology can help reduce climate change.
Fast Company
Whitefoot quoted on EV metrics
EPP/MechE's Kate Whitefoot was quoted in Fast Company about the role of metrics in EV advertising.
Vox
Whitefoot quoted on the MPG Illusion in the US
EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot was quoted in Vox on the EU’s more transparent gas measurements in comparison to the US. The EU’s liters per 100 kilometer driven method being “directly related to energy use and directly related to emissions” providing researchers with more precise data on fuel economy.
NBC News
Whitefoot quoted on labor involved in electric vehicle production
MechE/EPP’s Kate Whitefoot was quoted in NBC News on the amount of labor involved in electric vehicle production.
Fox Business
Whitefoot quoted on electric vehicle tax credits
Kate Whitefoot was quoted in Fox Business on the updated federal policy surrounding electric vehicle tax credits.
CNET
Whitefoot talks electric vehicle tax credits
EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot spoke to CNET about adding to the list of electric vehicles that qualify for a federal tax credit worth thousands of dollars.
Axios
CMU’s take on autoworkers in the electric car industry in Axios
As the auto industry begins making the switch over to electric vehicles (EVs), a popular contention is that it takes fewer workers to manufacture EVs. However, researchers at CMU have found that it actually takes more labor hours as battery cell production is a complex and time-consuming process.
MSN
Whitefoot comments on green cars in MSN
MechE/EPP’s Kate Whitefoot comments on the future of green vehicles in MSN. “Moving heavy vehicles like school buses, construction equipment, and big trucks to electrification will definitely be slower,” she says.
Newsweek
Whitefoot comments on gas-powered green vehicles
MechE/EPP’s Kate Whitefoot comments on gas-powered green vehicles in Newsweek. "Moving heavy vehicles like school buses. construction equipment and big trucks to electrification will definitely be slower. That's where improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines will be important,” Whitefoot says.
Nautilus
Whitefoot talks increasing electric vehicle popularity
MechE/EPP’s Kate Whitefoot spoke to Nautilus about what’s behind the latest uptick in consumer interest in electric vehicles, breaking down several factors, including environmental impact and the influence of Tesla.
GO Banking Rates
Whitefoot talks cost of EVs, policy incentives
MechE/EPP’s Kate Whitefoot said there are many policy incentives available to lower the cost of purchasing electric vehicles (EVs).
CMU Engineering
Tech advances will drive the transition to electric vehicles
Researchers found that advances in EV technology will likely bring significant growth to the market, relative to gasoline powered automobiles.
Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
CMU at COP27: Addressing Air Quality Standards and Emission Reductions
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) was held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt on November 6-18 this year. CMU was represented at the conference by Energy Fellows Katie Whitefoot and Paulina Jaramillo.
Vox
Whitefoot talks future of electric vehicles after California’s ban on gasoline vehicles
EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot discussed future uptake of electric vehicles in Vox after California passed a measure banning the sale of fossil fuel-powered cars by 2035. “It is expected that EVs will dominate the new vehicle market nationwide in the future,” she said. “The uncertainty is exactly when this will occur.”
CMU Engineering
Engineering faculty featured in events at GCEAF
Many faculty from across the College of Engineering will be featured at events during this year’s Global Clean Energy Action Forum.
Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
Scott Institute Announces New Class of Energy Fellows
The Scott Institute Energy Fellows Program incentivizes, promotes and rewards Carnegie Mellon University's most dedicated tenure track energy faculty. Each fellow receives yearly funding and resources from the Scott Institute.
Whitefoot honored for work in design automation
EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot has been recognized with the Young Investigator Award by the 2022 ASME Design Automation Committee.
Vox
Whitefoot quoted on electric vehicles
EPP/MechE’s Katie Whitefoot was quoted in a Vox article for her expertise in electric vehicles in public policy. “Efficiency regulations are still really important even as automakers are making pledges to electrify their fleets,” Whitefoot said.