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Graduate Advising
Current Robotics students have many options regarding advising. All of the below options can provide insight into most issues, however each one does offer a specific focus.
Graduate program coordinator
For assistance with items such as making sure requirements are fulfilled, policies, procedures, or anything with which you are struggling, Denise Edmund, the graduate program coordinator, can help.
Open office hours for current students:
- Mondays 12:30-2pm (3216 FRB)
- Tuesdays 9-10am (remote only – Zoom link )
- Wednesdays 10:30am-12:30pm (3216 FRB)
- Thursdays 1-2pm (remote only – Zoom link )
While the above are Denise’s designated open office hours, she is always happy to meet at a time more convenient for you: just use the contact info below. Denise is also on site Mondays and Wednesdays (please feel free to stop by to say hello). Denise can meet via Zoom Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Please reach out via email anytime (grad-robotics@umich.edu). For more private matters, please email Denise directly (dledmund@umich.edu).
Graduate chair and committee
For assistance with items such as independent study, research, or career guidance, Professor Brent Gillespie, graduate program chair, can help.
You can schedule an advising appointment with Professor Gillespie here.
Other graduate committee faculty are also available during the following office hours:
Talia Moore’s Office Hours in FRB 2256:
- October 25: 11 am – 12 pm
- November 13: 1 – 2 pm
- November 20: 1 – 2 pm
Mark Draelos’s Office Hours in FRB 2246:
- October 3: 1 – 2 pm
- October 10: 1 – 2 pm
- October 17: 1 – 2 pm
- October 24: 1 – 2 pm
Katie Skinner’s Office Hours in FRB 3244:
- October 2: 10 am – 12 pm
- October 23: 10 am – 12 pm
- Book appointments here
Greg Formosa’s Office Hours in FRB 2280:
- September 28: 12 – 1 pm
- October 12: 12 – 1 pm
- October 26: 12 – 1 pm
- November 9: 12 – 1 pm
Ram Vasudevan’s Office Hours in FRB 3252:
- September 25: 4 – 5 pm
- October 2: 4 – 5 pm
- October 9: 4 – 5 pm
- October 16: 4 – 5 pm
Yanran Ding’s Office Hours in FRB 2272:
- October 11: 2:30 – 4:30 pm
- October 25: 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Xiaonan Huang’s Office Hours in FRB 2244:
- October 23: 3 – 4 pm
- October 30: 3 – 4 pm
- November 6: 3 – 4 pm
- November 13: 3 – 4 pm
Chris Mavrogiannis’s Office Hours in FRB 3248:
- October 2: 4 – 5 pm
- October 16: 4 – 5 pm
- October 30: 4 – 5 pm
- November 6: 4 – 5 pm
Dmitry Berenson’s Office Hours in FRB 2268:
- October 9: 1 – 2 pm
- October 11: 1 – 2 pm
- October 12: 11 – 12 pm
Graduate peer advising
Peer advisors are experienced students willing to offer advice to other students, including items such as course selection.

Alia Gilbert
Course selection, MS to PhD transition, community resources, MS worksheet completion, and more!
Open office hours:
Mondays 1-2pm FRB 2141 and 7-8pm remote
Tuesdays 10am-12pm FRB 2141
Wednesdays 9am- 12pm FRB 2141
Thursdays 1-3pm FRB 3141