Jessica Brown

Hi everyone! I’m Jessica Brown, a senior at Olin College of Engineering specializing in computational robotics. My technical research interests are in the domain of multitask robot learning. I’m broadly interested in various techniques, including reinforcement learning, meta learning, and generative models. Currently, I lead a multitask robot learning research project in the ART-Autonomous Robot Training Lab at Olin, where we are designing methods for offline policy stitching using the open-x embodiment dataset. My interests also extend to robotics ethics and the societal impacts of AI, particularly in enhancing quality of life. To this end, I have done curriculum development for the Machine Learning class at Olin, creating a module on AI and algorithmic bias. I am also part of a new joint university-industry partnership where we will discuss advancing robotics applications in elder care. My previous robotics research projects have involved learning controllers and dynamical systems as a WAVE fellow at Caltech, and optimizing warehouse automation for a stealth-mode startup. This summer, I will be working in the RPAD Lab with David Held, Eric Cai, Octavian Donca, and Ben Eisner on developing robot learning policies for deformable object manipulation. When I’m not doing robotics research, I enjoy participating in dance classes and performing with local organizations such as the Babson Dance Ensemble. I’d like to thank the RPAD Lab- including Dave Held, Eric Cai, Octavian Donca, Ben Eisner, and the RISS organizers- including Rachel Burcin, John Dolan, and Morgan Grimm for this wonderful opportunity!