Microsoft Future Leaders in Robotics and AI: Celebrating Diversity and Innovation Seminar Series
Nomination FormThe Future Leaders in Robotics and AI: Celebrating Diversity and Innovation Seminar Series is part of the University of Maryland and Microsoft Robotics and Diversity Initiative, sponsored by Microsoft DC Metro Engineering Site. This is a nationwide online seminar series for PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, or early-career professionals, especially underrepresented minorities and women. The seminar series will highlight the latest research and innovation in the field of robotics and AI. The series is intended to provide exposure and mentorship opportunities to the speakers, build a network of innovators across the country, and support the speakers’ career planning.
The seminars are held once per month during the academic year. There are two speakers per seminar. Each speaker gives a 20-minute research presentation followed by a Q&A segment. Immediately after the second seminar, the speakers participate in a discussion with the faculty.
Spring 2023 Seminars 
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Friday, February 24, 2023, 2 pm - 3 pm EST
- Speaker 1: Mengxue Hou, Postdoctoral Fellow, Purdue University, "Assured Abstraction for Robotic Hierarchical Planning" Recording
- Speaker 2: Alexandra Nilles, Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University, "Agent-Environment Interactions for Uncertainty Reduction & Communication" Recording
Friday, March 3, 2023, 2 pm - 3 pm EST
- Speaker 1: Alexis Block, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, LA, "HuggieBot: Design & Evaluation of an Interactive Hugging Robot with Visual & Haptic Perception"
- Speaker 2: Emily Collins, Research Scientist, Northeastern University, "Building Trustworthy Robotics for Better, Safer Industry" Recording
Friday, March 17, 2023, 2 pm - 3 pm EST
- Speaker 1: Steven Ceron, Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "Enabling Robot Swarms Across Length Scales" Recording
- Speaker 2: Junyi Geng, Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University, "Interacting with the Environment for Autonomous Aerial Manipulation" Recording
Friday, April 7, 2023, 2 pm - 3 pm EST
- Speaker 1: Angeline Aguinaldo, PhD student, University of Maryland, "A Category Theoretic Approach to Planning in a Complex World" Recording
- Speaker 2: Lidia Al-Zogbi, PhD student, Johns Hopkins University, "Autonomous Ultrasound-Guided Robotics to Support Trauma Patients: From Diagnostics to Hemorrhage Control" Recording
Friday, April 14, 2023, 2 pm - 3 pm EST
- Speaker: Rohan Chandra, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas, Austin, "Socially Compliant Multi-Agent Planning and Navigation in Challenging Environments" Recording
How to Participate
The seminars will be held approximately once per month during the academic year, starting in the Fall 2022 semester. There will be two speakers per seminar. Each speaker will prepare a 20-minute research presentation, after which there will be 5 minutes of Q&A. Immediately after the second seminar, the speakers will participate in a discussion with interested faculty. Each seminar speaker will receive a small honorarium.
Please use this Google form to submit speaker nominations and self-
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