Speakers

Sonia Chernova is an Associate Professor in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech. She received her Ph.D. and B.S. degrees in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Chernova directs the Robot Autonomy and Interactive Learning (RAIL), developing robots that are able to effectively operate in human environments. The lab’s research spans adjustable autonomy, semantic reasoning, human-robot interaction, and cloud robotics.  She also serves as the lead for the NSF AI Institute for Collaborative Assistance and Responsive Interaction for Networked Groups (AI-CARING), whose mission is to develop the next generation of personalized collaborative AI systems that improve the quality of life and independence of aging adults living at home.

Nilanjan Sarkar is the Vice Dean of the School of Engineering and a Professor of Mechanical and Computer Engineering at Vanderbilt University. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993.

Dr. Sarkar’s research focuses on developing intelligent and autonomous systems that can work with people in natural and adaptive ways. His work spans applications such as technology-assisted learning for individuals with autism, rehabilitation for stroke patients, and VR/AR systems for those with cognitive impairments. In ongoing work, among other projects, he is exploring the role of Augmented Reality Systems in Nursing Education.

Dr. Shannan Hamlin is the Director for the Center for Nursing Research, Education and Practice at Houston Methodist Hospital, Associate Professor at the Houston Methodist Institute of Academic Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Houston Baptist University, a Master of Science in Nursing and PhD degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center. She is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Executive, and adult critical care (CCRN) certified by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

The adult critically ill patient population has been the focus of Dr. Hamlin’s advanced nursing practice, research, and publications. She has worked in the critical care area at Houston Methodist Hospital as a clinical nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Research Fellow and Nurse Scientist. Dr. Hamlin’s research focuses on hemodynamics and failure to rescue. In ongoing work, she is exploring the role of Robotic Tutors in Nursing Education.

Dr. Ron Alterovitz is the Lawrence Grossberg Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley in 2006 in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. Prior to joining UNC, he was selected for an NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and conducted research at the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department at UC Berkeley and the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center. He also spent a year with the Robotics and AI group at LAAS-CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) in Toulouse, France. 

Dr. Alterovitz's research focuses on increasing the autonomy of robots by developing novel algorithms for robots to learn and plan their motions, with an emphasis on enabling robots to autonomously perform new, less invasive medical procedures and tasks in homes and workplaces. He leads the Computational Robotics Research Group, which addresses fundamental algorithmic challenges required to enable robots to safely and autonomously complete tasks in clinical and home environments.

Dr. Charlie Kemp is the chief technology officer for Hello Robot Inc., which he cofounded with Aaron Edsinger in 2017. Dr. Kemp earned his PhD at MIT with Dr. Rod Brooks as his advisor. Hello Robot Inc. is the provider of the world's only portable, capable, developer-friendly mobile manipulator Stretch. Stretch is a compact, lightweight, and force-sensitive mobile manipulator that achieves a new level of affordability. Prior to working full-time at Hello Robot, he was an academic.

Dr. Junfeng Ma is the associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator at Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Mississippi State University. Dr. Ma received his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Pennsylvania State University in 2016. 

Dr. Ma's primary research interest concentrates on operations research and data analytics in engineering and management. The implementations involve sustainable product/systems design, life cycle assessment and improvement, supply chain management, multidisciplinary/large scale systems design optimization, and advanced design and manufacturing.