Sridhar Kota

Sridhar Kota is the Herrick Professor of Engineering, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. He is the founding Director of MForesight: Alliance for Manufacturing Foresight – a federally-funded technology think-and-do tank focused on enhancing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. Between 2009-2012 Prof. Kota served as the Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). He played an instrumental role in conceptualizing and championing the establishment of the national manufacturing innovation institutes. He also orchestrated implementation of the National Robotics Initiative, and the National Digital Engineering and Manufacturing Initiative.

Dr. Kota has authored over 200 technical papers, and has over 30 patents on mechanical and bio-inspired engineering systems. He is the recipient of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Machine Design Award, Leonardo da Vinci Award, the Outstanding Educator Award and the University of Michigan Regents’ Award for Distinguished Public Service and University Distinguished University Innovator Award. He is the founder and CEO of FlexSys Inc. which developed and flight tested the world’s first modern aircraft with shape-changing wings to improve fuel efficiency and noise reduction.