Name: Nadia Al Mutlak

Undergraduate Institution: Columbia University

Funded By: KAUST University

Mentor: Dr. Henny Admoni

Nadia is excited to join the RISS community because opens an amazing opportunity to learn about the research process and graduate school. RISS also fosters an opportunity to learn and grow as a student and an aspiring researcher. By engaging with experienced researchers and students alike, struggling through the ups and downs of research and learning to adapt, she hopes to come out of this program more confident in her skills and prepared for future plans.

Name: Haoran Cheng

Undergraduate Institution: Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Funded By: Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Mentor: Dr. Howie Choset

Haoran is excited to discover how industry and academic research interact in the robotics field and to learn more about pursing higher education. In addition, he hopes to contribute to the 2019 RI Summer Scholars cohort by actively learning and communicating with others.

Name: Jiafan Hou

Undergraduate Institution: Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentor: Dr. Howie Choset

Jiafan hopes to gain skills and knowledge through performing robotics research. She is excited to learn new things in an unfamiliar environment and to get more insights and inspiration. She is looking forward to receiving support to step outside of her comfort zone and solve difficult challenges. She is also eager to experience the learning environment at a world-renowned university, network with her fellow scholars, learn from other’s research, and share her work.

Name: Het Shah

Undergraduate Institution: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Funded By: RISS-Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Partnership

Mentor: Dr. John M. Dolan

Het hopes to learn how to effectively communicate with people of different cultures and how to work in a new environment. He is also excited to be working on research problems related to robotics that give him the crucial research experience he desires before moving on to higher education.

Name: Samuel Triest

Undergraduate Institution: University of Rochester

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. John M. Dolan

The most important thing that Sam hopes to learn through RISS is how to conduct research as a graduate student. He intends on applying to graduate programs following his graduation next year and believes that having the entire summer to focus solely on his research skills instead of having to allocate his time with classes will be an extremely valuable experience. Sam is very excited to learn more about state-of-the-art in robotics research, especially in relation to autonomous vehicles and network algorithms. He has studied graphs and networks quite a bit in his time at the University of Rochester but is interest in learning more about how they apply to robotics.

Name: Chengwei Ye

Undergraduate Institution: Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentor: Dr. John M. Dolan

During this summer, the most important things that Chengwei hopes to learn are how to efficiently obtain new knowledge, how to contribute effectively in a research group, and how to develop critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills.

Name: Carl Edwards

Undergraduate Institution: University of Tennessee Knoxville

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. Artur W. Dubrawski

Over the course of the program, Carl hopes to expand his research abilities as well as his perspective on research. Particularly, he would like to gain a better understanding of the applications of machine learning and AI in the robotics field. In addition, he is looking forward to having the opportunity to work with a group of researchers and scientists who are leaders in their fields. The skills offered through RISS, such as learning how to conduct and share research, align with his long-range goals of pursuing graduate research studies.

Name: Chufan Gao

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University

Funded By: Auton Lab

Mentor: Dr. Artur W. Dubrawski

Chufan hopes to learn more about the collaborations between machine learning and robotics. He hopes to find answers to questions such as “What is the state of the art in robotics?”, “How do they work currently?”, and “What research is being done on ‘general intelligence’ in robotics / AI”?

Name: Harshayu Girase

Undergraduate Institution: University of California Berkeley

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. Artur W. Dubrawski

This summer, Harshayu is most interested in learning how to write a research paper/poster, how to effectively present complex research to different audiences, and networking with the other scholars.

Name: Mononito Goswami

Undergraduate Institution: Delhi Technological University

Funded By: Auton Lab & RISS-Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Partnership

Mentor: Dr. Artur W. Dubrawski

Mononito hopes to learn how to conduct research on cutting-edge robotics problems. He is keen on learning about other research avenues in robotics and novel technologies. In addition, He would like to learn about other cultures and establish the skill of completing work under pressure in a multi-cultural environment.

Name: Valerie Chen

Undergraduate Institution: Yale University

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. Abhinav Gupta

Valerie is most excited about collaborating with fellow RI summer scholars and being in a like-minded learning environment.

Name: Maimoon Siddiqui

Undergraduate Institution: Carnegie Mellon University

Funded By: RISS-Carnegie Mellon in Qatar Partnership

Mentor: Dr. Zakia Hammal

Maimoon is looking forward to making the most out of this unique opportunity by working with brilliant minds from all around the world and learning from mentors from one of the best institutes for robotics.

Name: Vivek Roy

Undergraduate Institution: Jadavpur University

Funded By: Hebert Lab Funding & RISS-Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Partnership

Mentor: Dr. Martial Hebert

Vivek is excited to participate in RISS this year because it is a great platform to do research and communicate the work to the rest of the world. He is excited to showcase his research because it shows the world how he has developed as a researcher and, more importantly, as a collaborator.

Name: Yimin Tang

Undergraduate Institution: ShanghaiTech University

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentor: Dr. David Held

Yimin is excited to join RISS because it allows him to learn a lot about research, cooperation, and communication. The professors who participate in this program are very professional and bring an unmatched expertise. He is grateful and eager to have the opportunity to work alongside them this summer.

Name: Ziwen Zhuang

Undergraduate Institution: ShanghaiTech University

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentor: Dr. David Held

During this summer, Ziwen hopes to learn is the research process that successful research follows. He would like to learn how to develop research from an idea to a well-constructed paper.

Name: Yutian Lei

Undergraduate Institution: Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentor: Dr. Dong Huang

Yutian hopes to improve his ability as a researcher and learn how to solve problems with different applications. He hopes to continue learning about robotics and machine learning.

Name: Quintessa Guengerich

Undergraduate Institution: New Mexico Insitute of Mining and Technology

Funded By: RISS-Mobility21 Partnership

Mentors: Dr. Isaac Isukapati and Dr. Stephen Smith

Tessa is excited to learn about things she wasn’t exposed to before, especially computational statistics and machine learning. She is also excited to be surrounded by other students from around the world with incredibly diverse backgrounds.

Name: Rebecca Martin

Undergraduate Institution: Arizona State University

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentors: Dr. Isaac Isukapati and Dr. Stephen Smith

Rebecca wants to grow in her researching skills, gain experience working in a research lab, and learn how to manage her own project.

Name: Letong Wang

Undergraduate Institution: ShanghaiTech University

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentors: Dr. Aaron Johnson and Dr. Matthew T. Mason

Letong would like to learn how to conduct full-time research over a fixed time period. She wants to learn how to communicate with professors, lab mentors and other faculties about academic topics and be able to effectively describe research processes. Finally, she hopes to learn how to cooperate with people from different countries and different backgrounds.

Name: Zilin Si

Undergraduate Institution: ShanghaiTech University

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentor: Dr. Michael Kaess

Zilin hopes to learn how to adopt a mindset that is best when performing research, how to work through problems faced while performing research, and prepare for her future studies. She is excited to collaborate with fellow scholars and learning about their work and interests.

Name: Daniel Feshbach

Undergraduate Institution: Haverford College

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. Maxim Likhachev

Through the guidance of RISS mentors and partners, Daniel hopes to develop a stronger intuition for how to form an interesting and tractable research question and increase his problem-solving skills in open-ended, abstract research. He hopes to explore the current approaches to graph-based search planning and the underlying mathematical foundations within them. He is excited to join the RISS program because he is very interested in his mentor’s work and can imagine many very fun projects related to it. In addition, RISS provides an amazing opportunity to develop his research skills and learn about robotics.

Name: Ashton Larkin

Undergraduate Institution: Brigham Young University

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. Maxim Likhachev

Ashton is excited to join RISS because he sees value in a formal robotics research experience and believes that participating with other scholars will allow him to advance his goals. He is excited to be involved in the premier work being done within the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute. In addition, he looks forward to learning about the different approaches being taken to solve various problems and the skills that are needed to perform successful robotics research.

Name: Patrick Naughton

Undergraduate Institution: Washington University in St. Louis

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. Maxim Likhachev

With the help of his mentor, Patrick would like to learn about the research process and delve into the aspects of his project, namely motion planning applications. He would also like to explore the option of graduate school and the different academic paths that are possible.

Name: Sushant Wadavkar

Undergraduate Institution: Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Funded By: Search-Based Planning Laboratory & RISS- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Partnership

Mentor: Dr. Maxim Likhachev

Throughout this summer, Sushant would like to continue developing his networking skills, learn about different robotics applications, especially implementation of path planning algorithms, learn how to write a technical paper and present the research effectively, and develop a good work ethic.

Name: Shiting Xiao

Undergraduate Institution: Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentor: Dr. Maxim Likhachev

Shiting would like to learn about how to choose a research topic that is feasible, how to deal with unforeseen obstacles, how to convey the ideas to others, and how to cooperate efficiently.

Name: Chenxiao Yu

Undergraduate Institution: Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentor: Dr. Maxim Likhachev

Chenxiao wants to explore different principles and implementation methods of machine learning during her time with RISS.

Name: Kenneth Shaw

Undergraduate Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. Changliu Liu

Kenneth hopes to gain a new perspective on academic research through RISS and narrow his interest areas before graduate school. He is particularly excited to share this experience with a group of other highly motivated students within a world-class Computer Science Program.

Name: Mansi Agarwal

Undergraduate Institution: Delhi Technological University

Funded By: S. N. Bose Indian Fellowship

Mentor: Dr. Jack Mostow

Mansi wants to delve deeper into understanding technology and applying it, and she believes this program gives her an opportunity like no other. She believes researching with some of the best and the most experienced minds in the fields of AI and Robotics will shape her thinking in a way that will allow her to contribute and learn in a challenging environment.

Name: Ivana Collado

Undergraduate Institution: Tecnológico de Monterrey

Funded By: RISS-Tecnológico de Monterrey Partnership

Mentor: Dr. Luis Ernesto Navarro-Serment

Ivana has personally seen the way this program helps engineering students grow as researchers and is excited to learn the skills she needs as an aspiring technologist. She believes RISS is an experience that opens your mind to countless possibilities and motivates undergraduate students to create and develop new technologies.

Name: Xinjie Yao

Undergraduate Institution: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Funded By: Home University Program

Mentors: Dr. Jean Hyaejin Oh and Dr. Ji Zhang

Xinjie would like to explore how to conduct professional research in a rigorous environment, how to effectively communicate research outcomes within the community, and how to present the work in various formats

Name: Andrew Saba

Undergraduate Institution: University of Pittsburgh

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentors: Dr. Sebastian Scherer and Dr. Oliver Kroemer

Andrew is excited to not only be able to work on a research project in a formal setting, but to also do it as part of a wider community that includes other amazing people, all of whom are also on this same journey. He hopes to further develop his technical skills in robotics and improve on his ability to manage a large project (in terms of size, scope, depth, and time). He would also like to learn more about how to formally communicate his project’s goals, results, and progress to different audiences.

Name: Vicky Zeng

Undergraduate Institution: Carnegie Mellon University

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. Reid Simmons

Vicky hopes to continue further into her stages of research, explore potential research interests, and gain experience. She hopes that, through this program, she can take her first big step into the specific research she is doing and broaden her view by learning about the work/interests of fellow scholars.

Name: Raghavv Goel

Undergraduate Institution: Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi

Funded By: Advanced Agent- Robotics Technology Lab

Mentor: Dr. Katia Sycara

Raghavv is excited to join RISS because it provides an opportunity to work in collaboration with leading Robotics Institute professors and labs. He is especially excited to connect with the professors and learn about their visions and ideologies. During the program, Raghavv knows he’ll be gaining amazing amount of knowledge that he can apply to his career. He is excited to experience new cultures, work with students from other institutions, and make friends.

Name: Sharmistha Gupta

Undergraduate Institution: Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi

Funded By: Advanced Agent- Robotics Technology Lab & RISS- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Partnership

Mentor: Dr. Katia Sycara

Sharmistha explains that the research at CMU RI, be it the Ballbot in 2005, or the featuring of Dr. Nathan Michael’s research on human-swarm interaction in the TV series ‘In Search Of’ in 2018, has always excited her and has always been something she wished she was a part of. RISS is the perfect opportunity for her to get involved as an undergrad studying in India. She hopes to have a great experience exploring the community and contributing to it. She is also looking forward to making new friends and having a great time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

Name: Simran Virk

Undergraduate Institution: Rice University

Funded By: RISS National Science Foundation REU

Mentor: Dr. Katia Sycara

Throughout her time here, Simran would like to learn how to effectively approach a research question, especially one that is open ended in nature, and how to narrow down the topic to a feasible research project.

Name: Boshi Wang

Undergraduate Institution: ShanghaiTech University

Funded By: RISS University Partner

Mentor: Dr. Katia Sycara

Boshi would like to enhance his research abilities, including reading and writing technical style papers, communication skills, and conducting experiments. He would also like to learn about robotics as a broad subject, how it can be applied in different fields and research and learn about preparation for the graduate school application process . As a member of RISS, he is excited to cooperate with his fellow scholars, learn about their different backgrounds, and make friends from all over the world.