Erica Fuchs
Professor, Engineering and Public Policy
Director, National Network for Critical Technology Assessment
Erica R.H. Fuchs is a professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, and a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her research focuses on the development, commercialization, and global manufacturing of emerging technologies, and national policy in that context. She was the founding faculty director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Manufacturing Futures Institute–an Institute across six schools aimed to revolutionize the commercialization and local production of advanced manufactured products.
Over the past decade, Fuchs has played a growing role in national and international meetings on technology policy, including being one of 23 participants in the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology workshop that led to the creation of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, and serving on the expert group that supported the White House in the 2016 Innovation Dialogue between the U.S. and China. In 2012 she was selected a World Economic Forum “Young Scientist” (top 40 under 40 globally). She currently serves as co-chair for the National Academies Committee on U.S. Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century, on the M.I.T. Corporation’s Visiting Committee for M.I.T.’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, of which M.I.T.’s Technology Policy Program is a part; and on the Advisory Editorial Board for Research Policy.
Before coming to CMU, Fuchs completed her Ph.D. in Engineering Systems at M.I.T. in June 2006. She received her Masters and her Bachelors degrees also from M.I.T. in Technology Policy (2003) and Materials Science and Engineering (1999), respectively. Fuchs spent 1999-2000 as a fellow at the United Nations in Beijing, China. She grew up and attended K-12 in the Reading Public School District in Reading, PA. Her work has been published among other places in Science, the Nature journals, Research Policy, and Management Science; and has been covered on National Public Radio, by Bloomberg, and in the New York Times.
Technology Development: Government and Location
Education
2006 Ph.D., Engineering Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2003 M.Sc., Technology Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1999 BS, Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Research Interests
Media mentions
The New York Times
Fuchs talks plans to assess America’s critical technologies
EPP’s Erica Fuchs speaks with The New York Times about the grant she was awarded to complete a one-year pilot project: the National Network for Critical Technology Assessment.
Brookings Institution
Fuchs speaks on industrial policy at a Hamilton Project event
EPP’s Erica Fuchs spoke at a Hamilton Project event at the Brookings Institution. As a panelist, she discussed the importance of a modern industrial policy that ideally focuses on the service and tech sectors.
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.
US Senate
Fuchs to testify before Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
EPP’s Erica Fuchs will testify Tuesday, April 22 at 10 a.m. ET before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in a hearing titled “Building a Resilient Economy: Shoring Up Supply.”
Telegraph
Fuchs quoted on Moore’s Law
EPP’s Erica Fuchs was quoted in Telegraph on Moore’s Law and how the technological innovation crisis threatens global economy.
CMU Engineering
Team builds tools, innovations to support federal investment
With major investments in infrastructure and innovation pending, a multi-disciplinary initiative lead by EPP’s Erica Fuchs is building the tools and innovations to inform government decisions.
The Register
Fuchs quoted on the death of Moore’s Law
EPP’s Erica Fuchs was quoted in The Register on whether or not the famed “Moore’s Law” is achievable anymore. The law has predicted advances in computer technology over the past 50 years, but difficulty in manufacturing might spell its end.
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Fuchs gives testimony to House Science Space and Technology Committee
EPP’s Erica Fuchs joined the House on June 9, to give her testimony on building regional innovation economies.
MIT Technology Review
Fuchs quoted on Moore’s Law
EPP’s Erica Fuchs was quoted in MIT Technology Review on Moore’s Law. “Maybe in 10 years or 30 years—no one really knows when—you’re going to need a device with that additional computation power,” she says.
CMU Engineering
Could 3D printing lead to distributed manufacturing?
In a recent paper published in Additive Manufacturing, a team of CMU researchers investigated how AM could contribute to distributed manufacturing.
3D Printing Media Network
3D Printing Media Network covers NASA funding in Next Manufacturing Center
3D Printing Media Network covered the recent news that CMU has been selected by NASA to lead a research team dedicated to examining new ways to build and power aircraft of the future, through NASA’s University Leadership Initiative.
CMU Engineering
NASA invests in 3D printing for aviation
CMU has been selected by NASA to lead a research team dedicated to examining new ways to build and power aircraft of the future, through NASA’s University Leadership Initiative.