Dr. Frank Lederman (S’71), former Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Alcoa and recent appointee to Cray’s Board of Directors

One in a series of occasional profiles showcasing highly accomplished MCS alumni and their past or current interactions with Carnegie Mellon

Professional Background

B.S. and M.S. (Physics), Carnegie Mellon University
M.S. and Ph.D. (Physics), University of Illinois

After earning his doctorate from the University of Illinois, Lederman was a post-doctoral fellow in electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. From 1976–1988, he worked for General Electric as a physicist and in a number of management positions. In 1988, he became Senior Vice President, Technology of Noranda, Inc. From 1995 until his retirement in 2001, Lederman served as Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Alcoa, Inc. He was appointed to Cray Inc.’s Board of Directors in May 2004.

When you were an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon, how did you envision your career path? Why did you choose to study physics and mathematics?

Throughout high school I was interested in physics, mathematics, and computing. I came to Carnegie Mellon largely because of its clear leadership in computer science. Although I was pretty sure I would go on for a Ph.D., I didn’t know what I wanted to do with that education, so I studied both math and physics to keep my options open.

Do you look back on any key experiences at Carnegie Mellon that made an impact?

The education was outstanding, of course. I had opportunities to interact with professors outside the classroom, and it gave me a feeling for what their lives were like. I remember meeting professor DeBenedetti when I was an entering freshman. I asked him why research was so important to teaching faculty, and he explained to me the close relationship between teaching and learning. It’s difficult for someone to teach unless he/she is also learning. I’ve never forgotten this.

What type of work did you do at General Electric? Why did you decide to transition from bench science into management positions?

My first research projects at General Electric (GE) were in the area of ultrasonic imaging. I was one of the designers and developers of GE’s first medical ultrasound system. We were awarded patents that cover several aspects of ultrasound technology.

During my first couple years at GE, the ultrasound project grew to be quite large, and I was in charge of the overall system design. My main interest was the technical work, but my manager suggested that I give program management a try. I liked the idea of having more responsibility for my own destiny rather than taking orders from someone else. I think I’ve always been interested in management. I like finding better ways to do things. I especially enjoy getting different groups to work together and to find value in each other’s work.

Having a broad science background helped me tremendously as a technology manager in industry. You have to first be a principal investigator before you can guide others to be good scientists. I could appreciate and understand what the researchers I was managing were going through and could put value on the process as well as on the end result. And in order to set program priorities, you need to have the insight to balance what needs to be done against what can be done. Being a scientist myself helped me be a more effective, insightful manager.

Can you describe your role as Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Alcoa, Inc.? What was most rewarding for you in your work at Alcoa?

I was responsible for Alcoa’s technology worldwide, including the 700–900 person Alcoa Technical Center outside of Pittsburgh and thousands of engineers in various locations around the world. There were a number of excellent research projects there. Alcoa was growing rapidly through acquisitions in the late 1990s, and I think the most rewarding part of my job was finding ways to bring together different international groups into one "virtual technology organization," where knowledge could be shared freely.

Now that you’ve retired, how are you staying connected with industry?

I stay connected through my participation on boards and through trade organizations. For example, I’m an emeritus member of the Industrial Research Institute, which consists of past and present chief technical officers.

How do you feel about your recent appointment to Cray Inc.’s Board of Directors? Which of Cray’s technologies are you currently most excited about?

I’m excited and honored to be involved with Cray. The supercomputer field is highly technical and very competitive. I’m interested not only in the new electronics and software being developed by Cray, but also in the new applications being developed by scientists and other users. I feel that we’ve only begun to tap the potential of high-bandwidth computing. These technologies will directly impact our everyday lives, rather than just specialty computing. Incidentally, one of the largest supercomputer installations in the country is at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC), which is directed jointly by Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh. The PSC will soon be owners of Cray’s newest system.

How would you characterize the role you’ve played on the many industry, university, and government advisory boards you have been a part of?

I was a technology manager for over twenty years and a member of the corporate executive team for over half of that. I try to help these organizations characterize and solve their problems, drawing on the experiences I’ve had. In many respects, university and government groups need to manage their organizations as if they were businesses. I try to help them identify their most significant issues and alternative strategies and plans. Also, since universities and governments need to interact with industry, it really helps to have someone with industry experience at the table.

What would you say is the most important challenge facing new Carnegie Mellon graduates in physics and other sciences?

Some graduates may find that their employment opportunities are limited by the economy (competition from foreign graduates, outsourcing of American jobs) and by reduced funding at universities. However, not all science graduates — especially physicists — realize the value of their broad education. For example, a physics education taught me how to be a systems thinker and how to break up complex problems into manageable pieces. My thesis research taught me how to propose, plan, present, and defend my work. Skills like those can help new graduates tackle almost any challenge.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

I am proud of my association with Carnegie Mellon. The time I spent as a Carnegie Mellon undergrad helped shape the person I am today, and I often reflect on that fondly. I sincerely hope that future scientists graduating from Carnegie Mellon will have the same positive experience.

January 4, 2005

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