Abstract

Engineering design decisions have far-reaching effects for environmental, economic, and social sustainability. In this talk, Professor Whitefoot will discuss methods of analyzing sustainability considerations of technology design and policies using the transportation sector as a case in point. In the U.S., transportation is the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and reducing these emissions is critical for avoiding more extreme effects of climate change. As we consider technology and policy options that reduce GHG emissions, it is important to understand the effects on users, workers, and the public at large. Professor Whitefoot will discuss recent studies in four areas that will drive future GHG reductions in transportation: passenger vehicle emission regulations, vehicle electrification, battery critical minerals supply, and vehicle lightweighting. She will highlight the technological improvements in electric vehicles that allow them to be more widely adopted. The effects of vehicle electrification on consumers and manufacturing workers will be discussed, identifying engineering design and manufacturing conditions that would benefit these groups. Finally, she will discuss opportunities to reduce aircraft and automotive GHG emissions by lightweighting parts via additive manufacturing.

Bio

Kate Whitefoot is an expert in multidisciplinary engineering and economic methods that guide technology development and policy to be more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. She is a full professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and associate director of CMU's Critical Technology Initiative. Prior to her current position, she was a senior program officer and the Robert A. Pritzker Fellow at the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), where she directed the NAE's Manufacturing, Design, and Innovation program. Her major awards include the NSF CAREER, NAE Engineering Frontiers, World Economic Forum Global Futures, and ASME’s Design Automation Committee Young Investigator Award. Her work is featured in the Atlantic, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, and referenced in multiple regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation. She works with several Fortune 50 companies and has been invited to present briefings at the White House, Capitol Hill, and several federal agencies.