McQuade Brings Capital Perspectives to CMU
By Bruce Gerson
Michael McQuade is working to put Carnegie Mellon University research in the right place at the right time so that it makes the biggest impact.
That’s the top priority for CMU’s new vice president for research, who is guiding the university’s research enterprise by fostering connections across campus, and building alliances with private sector partners and federal agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the departments of Defense, Energy and Homeland Security.
McQuade is familiar with the workings in Washington, D.C. He is a founding member of the Defense Innovation Board, an independent federal advisory committee formed in 2016 that advises the Secretary of Defense on how best to advance technological innovation. He previously served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and on the Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board.
“We have to make sure that people who would benefit from the brilliance of this university know about us and we need to be sure that our faculty and researchers know what issues are important to funders, policymakers and legislators,” McQuade said. “We need to create and mature the technologies in which we are world leaders — neurosciences, robotics, computer systems, artificial intelligence, sensors, just to name a few — into tools for transforming society.”
“We need to create and mature the technologies in which we are world leaders ... into tools for transforming society.”
McQuade said there is no place better suited to impact society than Carnegie Mellon.
“If you think about the way artificial intelligence is changing society, we are uniquely equipped to be able to do that, and to do that in an atmosphere that is enormously cross-functional,” he said. “It’s extraordinarily important that we have people at the cutting-edge of the science of AI and at the cutting-edge of the ethics, societal impact and psychology of AI. This is precisely what we mean when we talk about the collaborative culture at CMU.”
A three-time CMU physics alumnus, McQuade found himself at the right place at the right time nearly a year ago. After retiring from a stellar career leading research, development and business functions for several top engineering and technology companies, including United Technologies Corporation (UTC) and 3M, he was looking for a new challenge and “wanted to do something that mattered” in his retirement. At the same time, CMU was looking for someone with his type of research and business acumen to strengthen and support its research function.
“Carnegie Mellon’s combination of so many areas of deep expertise, the way it is uniquely aligned to the critical issues of the world today and the ability for this university to make a global impact was a big attraction,” said McQuade, a former member of CMU’s Board of Trustees. “I am delighted and honored to be at this place where we truly can make a difference.”
In his first nine months on the job, he has been busy. McQuade has raised the visibility of the research office, enhanced administrative functions and has increased the interaction with government agencies, particularly the Department of Defense. Earlier this year, the U.S. Army activated its AI Task Force Hub at CMU’s National Robotics Engineering Center, which includes top-tier research universities and American companies as partners. The technology developed by the Army and its partners aims to modernize processes used to equip and protect soldiers, enhance readiness and increase the Army's capabilities.
“I feel very good about CMU’s leadership role in the Army AI Hub,” McQuade said. “The Department of Defense is recognizing the importance of all aspects of AI to its mission, from the technical side to the capabilities its personnel will need, to the need to understand the ethical issues AI might present.”
McQuade earned his Ph.D. in experimental high-energy physics from CMU in 1983, spending three years of his graduate study researching charm quark production at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory outside of Chicago. After receiving his doctorate, he went to work for 3M, Imation and Eastman Kodak, where he held senior positions in technology development and business oversight.
“I am delighted and honored to be at this place where we truly can make a difference.”
From 2006 to 2018, he served as senior vice president for Science & Technology at UTC. McQuade's responsibilities included providing strategic oversight and guidance for research, engineering and development activities on a broad range of high-technology products and services for the global aerospace and building systems industries.
After spending more than three decades in the corporate world, McQuade said he is enjoying the culture at CMU.
“This is the most collaborative work environment,” he said. “This particular management team, the deans and senior faculty are very congenial. I like that. It’s a great atmosphere.”
In his free time, McQuade, who spends a lot of time in the nation’s capital, likes to visit the museums on the National Mall. He also enjoys reading, hiking, traveling and the opera.
“I’m looking forward to ‘Rinaldo,’ the School of Music’s first opera of the season next month,” he said.
Have a suggestion for Staff Spotlight? Send it to piperweekly@andrew.cmu.edu.