Organizers

Maru is an Assistant Professor in the Rich Miner School of Computer and Information Sciences at UMass Lowell. Her research interests aim to develop robotic systems that work alongside humans, collaborating in tasks performed in home environments; these systems explore different levels of robot autonomy and multiple ways for human interaction in less structured environments, with an emphasis on inclusive design to assist people with disabilities or older adults aging in place.

Raj is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Hunter College of the City University of New York. His research interests are in human-robot interaction, explainable artificial intelligence, robot navigation, and cognitive modeling. He has co-organized several Queer in AI events at AAAI and AAMAS as well as a workshop on Inclusive HRI.

Roberto  is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin. His research combines robotics, machine learning and computer vision with the goal of creating more capable and general robots. His dream would be to bring this robots to homes to help us with our everyday tasks. He has been active on organizing workshops and events, including some as chair of the IEEE Technical Committee in Mobile Manipulation.

Max Parks is currently a research assistant completing a M.S. in Computer Science and Information Systems at UM-Flint. Their research focuses most recently on human factors in human-robot team performance. Specifically, they are studying the relationship between fatigue and risk-taking within the context of human-robot teams. In addition to their research in robotics, Dr. Parks has a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California, Davis. They teach philosophy at Mott Community College and specialize in the Philosophy of Mind, with an AOC of Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Logic.

Ruchira is a PhD Student at the University of Edinburgh. Her interests span robotics perception, especially vision and audio, and the social implications of robotics.  She has previously worked on audiovisual exploration & social impacts of robotic automation in households at UT Austin, controlled data generation at EPFL, audio anti-spoofing at Samsung, and automated waste segregation at rStream. Ruchira enjoys organising workshops for Queer in AI and Queer in Robotics.

Andrea is a research scientist at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in the Robotics and Mechatronics Center. Her work focuses on manipulation and tactile feedback. Andrea holds a Ph.D. in Robotics from the University of Michigan. In addition to her work with Queer in AI and Queer in Robotics, Andrea is also a member of the IEEE-RAS DEI Committee. Outside of work, you can find her playing soccer, memorizing German vocab, or reading sci-fi and fantasy.

Nathan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their main line of research develops algorithms for human-in-the-loop optimization of robotic systems, with a focus on applications that assist users with limited mobility. Nathan has helped plan socials and workshops at ICRA, IROS, HRI, and RO-MAN. Beyond research, Nathan enjoys figure skating, sewing, and practicing queer forms of dance (e.g., Punking/Whacking and Voguing).

Sydney is a PhD Candidate in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their main line of research focuses on task allocation and planning  algorithms for large-scale multi-agent systems in dynamic, communication restricted environments.  They have helped organize workshops with Queer in AI at RLC, as well as other outreach efforts. Apart from their research, Sydney enjoys running, silversmithing, and going to drag shows.

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