Karen Lightman
Executive Director, Metro21 Carnegie Mellon University
- Pittsburgh PA
Karen is an internationally recognized leader in building and supporting communities based on emerging technologies.
Biography
Karen has a BA from the University of Vermont (UVM) and a MS in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. She and her family reside in Pittsburgh, PA.
Areas of Expertise
Media Appearances
How Carnegie Mellon helped transform Pittsburgh into a smart city playground
Fast Company online
2019-12-13
“We show the realm of the possible,” says executive director Karen Lightman. When late local billionaire philanthropist Henry Hillman asked Metro21 to tackle the inefficiencies of timed traffic lights, for example, the institute developed interactive smart lights that react to traffic volume in real time. With funding from Hillman’s foundation, the city has installed 50 of these traffic lights since 2012, and plans to roll out an additional 120 next year. Next, researchers will teach the system to prioritize emergency vehicles and public transport. The collaboration goes both ways: Although the city pioneered the smart trash can initiative itself, Lightman plans to study the data to learn more about the city’s sanitation and recycling needs. “What’s exciting is that we keep iterating,” she says. “We’ve got all the right ingredients here in Pittsburgh.”
‘RAMP’ing up transportation in Greene
Observer-Reporter online
2024-04-26
“It’s not just the cost of transportation, but reliable transportation is often a hindrance to people getting jobs, getting training, health care; it’s a hindrance to economic development in this county,” said Karen Lightman, executive director of Metro21: Smart Cities Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. “What if a plant comes here or a manufacturer comes here but no one can get there?”
Mount Washington landslide mitigation begins as climate challenges increase
90.5 WESA radio
2024-05-21
There could be more efficient and cheaper ways to catch a landslide before it takes down a hill, according to Karen Lightman, the executive director of Metro21 — a civic research institute at Carnegie Mellon University. One of Metro21’s projects used cameras on buses to track changes on roads. Lightman said equipping every public works truck or city bus on regular routes could be a first step in helping to monitor local slides. “It's capturing images and it's showing the change over time,” Lightman said.
Pilot Transportation Program Improves Rural Access and Mobility
My Science online
2024-06-11
"We are thrilled to be collaborating with our partners and using our research to address rural citizens’ mobility needs for enhanced quality of life, while taking into account energy efficiency and sustainability," said Karen Lightman , executive director of Safety21 , the U.S. DOT National University Transportation Center for Safety. "We’ve taken the lessons and learnings from the RAMP project to spin out a more ambitious multimodal project throughout Appalachia. With funding we received from the Appalachian Regional Commission, we will further define how to scale this across other rural communities struggling with similar mobility issues to Greene County."
An unprecedented gathering of safety leaders reveal 7 core principles of safe organizations
Pittsburgh Business Times online
2024-08-09
“Data can play a really important role, where using AI to move the data that without bias can shine a light where it’s been dark,” said Karen Lightman, interim executive director of Safety21, executive director of Metro21: Smart Cities Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. “That transparency is really critical because that will hold people accountable.”
Media
Social
Industry Expertise
Accomplishments
SEMI/MSIG "Hall of Fame"
2020
Top 25 “Women in Tech”
EETimes
Education
Carnegie Mellon University
M.S.
Public Policy and Management
1994
University of Vermont
B.A.
Economics and Political Science
1991
Languages
- English
- German
- Spanish
Event Appearances
Smart Infrastructure: Building the Future
January 2023 | CES 2023 Las Vegas, NV
Articles
Why U.S. Companies Will Win Wearables
IEEE Spectrum2014
Wearables seem to be everywhere. Whether it’s the wearables of the near future, like smart glasses, the even nearer future—smartwatches—or the ones most widely available today—activity monitors—it’s clear that the next great wave of consumer electronics will be worn on the human body. Ubiquitous gadgets studding clothing, worn on the wrist, covering the eyes, tattooed on the skin, or placed in the ear is where we're heading—and we're moving there fast.
Next-Gen Sensors Make Golf Clubs, Tennis Rackets, and Baseball Bats Smarter Than Ever
IEEE Spectrum2016
Sensor fusion and integrated MEMS are essential tools for today’s athletes - learn more about how MEMS and sensors are making sports and those who play it, a better, smarter game.
