Martin Schmidt, MIT’s provost and a professor of electrical engineering, has been appointed to the Ray and Maria Stata Professorship of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
The professorship, formerly known as the Distinguished Professorship, was established in 1984 through the generous support of Ray and Maria Stata, and reflects the Statas’ interest in education and semiconductor electronics. The chair is currently also held by Professor Dimitri Antoniadis. The chair was previously held by the late Professor Richard B. Adler and then by Professor Alan Oppenheim.
“Marty is an internationally recognized leader in the field of microscale and nanoscale fabrication and a dedicated teacher,” said Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) head Anantha Chandrakasan, the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “The Ray and Maria Stata Professorship is fitting recognition of his many outstanding contributions to research, teaching, mentoring, and service.”
Schmidt’s research focuses on microscale and nanoscale fabrication and its application to micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). His current focus is on new micromanufacturing and nanomanufacturing processes and equipment. Throughout his career he has transferred such technology to both large companies and startups and has co-founded or been the co-inventor of the core technology of six companies focusing on MEMS-enabled products. He was named a fellow of the IEEE for his contributions to design and fabrication of micro-electro-mechanical systems in 2004.
In addition to research, Schmidt has taught courses in micro/nanofabrication and MEMS, as well as core undergraduate subjects in EECS. His teaching has been recognized with the Ruth and Joel Spira Teaching Award and the Eta Kappa Nu Teaching Award.
Schmidt served as director of the Microsystems Technology Laboratories from 1999-2006 and as associate provost from 2008-2014. While associate provost, he served on the Coordinating Team of the Institute-wide Planning Task Force, which was created in response to the financial crisis of 2008. He assumed his current role as provost of MIT in 2014.
Schmidt has been actively involved in work at MIT and at the national level in manufacturing. At MIT, he was a member of the Production in the Innovation Economy Commission and served as the faculty lead to the White House sponsored Advanced Manufacturing Partnership.
