Biography
Theresa holds joint faculty appointments in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering.
Theresa was previously Purdue University’s executive vice president for research and partnerships and a professor of electrical and computer engineering. There she oversaw Purdue’s research enterprise.
Mayer served as vice president for research and innovation and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Virginia Tech. Prior to her role at Virginia Tech, Mayer was at Pennsylvania State University for more than 20 years, where she served as a distinguished professor of electrical engineering, associate dean for research and innovation in the College of Engineering, the site director of the National Science Foundation’s National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network and director of the Materials Research Institute Nanofabrication Laboratory.
She is internationally recognized for her research in applications of nanotechnology to electronic and photonic devices with new and previously unexplored functions. Her work in directed and self-assembly of nanoparticles has been used to expand the types and complexity of materials that can be integrated into devices beyond standard lithographic approaches, enabling a wide range of novel structures from low-power integrated nanosensor circuits to nanostructured gradient index optical components.
She has more than 350 technical publications, invited presentations and tutorials, and holds eight patents. Several of her co-inventions have been transitioned into commercial products. She is a fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and has received numerous awards for her teaching and research, including the NSF CAREER award. Throughout her career, she has supported the advancement of women in science and engineering.
Areas of Expertise
Media Appearances
Theresa Mayer is at the forefront of CMU's research efforts (Personalities of Pittsburgh)
Pittsburgh Business Times online
2024-08-19
Q&A feature article on Theresa Mayer.
Intro extract:
With a background in both electrical engineering and working in higher education, Theresa Mayer has landed at Carnegie Mellon University. Originally from Virginia, she earned her Ph.D. in electrical engineering at a time before much effort was spent on trying to increase the amount of women working in STEM-related fields. She has served on the faculty and in leadership roles at a number of higher education institutions, including an over 20-year stint at Penn State. At CMU, she serves in a pivotal role on the school’s leadership team as the vice president for research, a position she has held since February 2023. She also is a member of the faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Her research in applications of nanotechnology is internationally recognized, and she has more than 350 technical publications and holds eight patents.
Education
Purdue University
Ph.D.
Electrical Engineering
Purdue University
M.S.
Electrical Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
B.S.
Electrical Engineering
Articles
Theresa Mayer
Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
Theresa Mayer's Google Scholar page with a full list of publications.
