Author: Dan Newman

The exceptional achievements of this year’s award-winning students in academia and leadership have brought pride to the new Robotics Department. These students have displayed a remarkable commitment to their education, research, and community. We extend our congratulations to the recipients:

Congratulations to Professor Cindy Chestek, who has been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows. This is among the highest professional distinctions in the field of medical and biological engineering, reserved for the top two percent of professionals in the field.

Chestek’s pioneering contributions to neural engineering technologies and translation, as well as her passion for supporting women in engineering and science, were recognized by her peers and the College of Fellows. This work includes developing a prosthetic hand that can be controlled by the brain. She joins the distinguished ranks of the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2023, which comprises 140 members.

Honoring efforts that exemplify the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the North Campus Deans presented Professors Jessy Grizzle and Leia Stirling and PhD student Yves Nazon with MLK Spirit Awards.

The North Campus Deans’ MLK Spirit Awards recognizes students, faculty, and staff for “their commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, including within the context of the pandemic and our reignited sense of urgency to address root causes of social injustice.” The award ceremony took place Monday, January 16, 2023.

With the new Robotics Department and undergraduate robotics program launched, we have brought on additional faculty who exemplify our values. These new members will help us meet our goals of training the next generation of roboticists and advancing robotics research in order to positively impact the quality of people’s lives.