Dr. Lou Balmer-Millar is the Director of Research & Advanced Engineering for Caterpillar Inc. In her role as director, she is responsible for the execution and governance of Caterpillar’s technology strategy. Dr. Balmer-Millar oversees technology development in the areas of Energy and Transportation, Machine and Machine Systems, Automation and Enterprise Solutions, Factory Technology Solutions, Advanced Materials, Virtual Product Development, and Advanced Manufacturing.

In previous roles at Caterpillar, she led the introduction of diesel particulate filter products as part of the Aftertreatment & Cooling Product group and held the role of Product Manager for Caterpillar’s Fuel Systems division. Dr. Balmer-Millar currently serves as Caterpillar’s representative on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Engine Manufacturers Association and has served on the Board of the Energy Technology Institute. She joined Caterpillar in 2001, following seven years leading research efforts in the areas of materials and chemical engineering at the Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

She earned a BS in Engineering from Penn State University in 1987 and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1993. Dr. Balmer-Millar has authored or co-authored over 40 technical publications. She is a member of the American Ceramic Society, the American Chemical Society, and the Society of Automotive Engineers.