DESIGN INNOVATIONSEGAL DESIGN INSTITUTE
at the McCORMICK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

About

To sustain and enhance innovation in our country, we need leaders who can routinely innovate solutions to complex, ill-defined problems. Prof. Gerber studies and designs social computing systems to support innovation. 

Practically, she draws from her professional experience as a designer, social scientist, and manager. Theoretically, she draws from her academic training in social psychology, organizational behavior, design, and social computing.

As the Co-Director and Founder of Northwestern’s Center for Human Computer Interaction + Design and the Delta Lab at Northwestern University, and Faculty Founder of Design for America, Professor Gerber writes about technology, innovation, design, and the future of work.

Her current research focuses on understanding the work of social innovators in online and offline communities. This work brings a unique perspective of contemporary practices such as crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, brainstorming, and prototyping, and provides a strong foundation for designing engaging social environments that promote innovation and leadership

Education

PhD, Management Science & Engineering, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
MS, Product Design, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
BA, Art and Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

Research Interests

Design and innovation; human-computer interaction; crowdsourcing; motivation