robotics

George �鶹��Ƶ launches Virginia’s first robotics PhD

Martha Bushong — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:39:04 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ launches Virginia’s first robotics PhD Martha Bushong Tue, 07/22/2025 - 14:39

�鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Mechanical Engineering is leading the way in robotics with the approval of Virginia’s first PhD program in robotics that will launch in fall 2025. On July 10, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) officially approved the trailblazing program that will educate future leaders in the growing field.

Researcher Missy Cummings will direct the PhD in robotics program. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Mechanical Engineering Department Chair Leigh McCue and leading robotics faculty across the College of Engineering and Computing combined forces to create the multidisciplinary program that spans mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, computer science, and cybersecurity.

“George �鶹��Ƶ is a powerhouse in robotics,” says McCue. With more than 30 faculty members in the field, numerous labs, and research projects, students in the program have access to countless opportunities.

The approval for this program was years in the making and involved many faculty, and it’s coming at the right time to make an impact. “With faculty like Missy Cummings, who will be the program director, Cameron Nowzari, Quentin Sanders, Daigo Shishika, Ningshi Yao, and many more, plus our centers and labs that span across all of our northern Virginia campuses, it felt like the time was right to put together a multidisciplinary program that brings together many great researchers,” says McCue.

The new labs in the �鶹��Ƶ Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC) in Fairfax, the Life Sciences and Engineering Building on the SciTech Campus, and Fuse at �鶹��Ƶ Square in Arlington increase the college’s capabilities by providing state-of-the-art areas for designing and constructing any robotic system students and faculty envision, enhancing research and teaching activities.

Students at work in the new robotics makerspace in Fuse at �鶹��Ƶ Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

MARC, which opened in spring 2024, is already pioneering designing secure and intelligent autonomous systems. “Every robotics PhD student has a home in MARC. Like the program, it spans expertise across the College of Engineering and Computing and other colleges throughout the university,” says Missy Cummings, PhD program director and codirector of MARC.

As the program grows, Cummings, McCue, and Jeffrey Moran, Mechanical Engineering's associate chair for graduate studies, hope to see more partnerships and opportunities for these students. “I hope to see the types of projects diversify over the next ten years. Robotics is everywhere, and it touches so many industries, so I would like to see us break into new research areas, such as medical robots or micro-robotics,” says Moran.

Cummings adds that they are looking to partner with other universities and colleges across the state to support this growth and access to research in robotics.

The program is ready for transfer students starting in fall 2025. The department’s decision to fast-track the launch reflects high student interest and strong faculty readiness. “We have the talent, the infrastructure, and a clear vision,” says McCue. “This program is ready to go.” New students may apply for January 2026.

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Bioengineering student went from Patriot to Pilgrim for summer internship

Shayla Brown — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:51:00 +0000

Bioengineering student went from Patriot to Pilgrim for summer internship  Shayla Brown Fri, 09/06/2024 - 11:51

�鶹��Ƶ bioengineering student Berk Kasimcan spent his summer internship working on a proof of concept for what could be described as sunglasses for buildings. 

Kasimcan is working alongside Harvard University psychology students and second-year PhD engineering and computing student Raphael Kay as they attempt to alleviate the damage that buildings experience throughout the years from radiation, heat, cold, and light. 

“What if we create this glass system that has various liquids inside and is able to adjust the building temperature or the [impact of] the direct UV light?” Kasimcan said. “This research would be especially helpful for newer buildings that are made of mostly glass.” 

Berk Kasimcan. Photo provided.

Kasimcan’s internship took place in two lab locations on Harvard’s campus —the Aizenberg Biomineralization and Biomimetics Lab in the Science and Engineer Complex and the Center for Nanoscale Systems. The research being conducted is fairly new and led by Kay, who is also one of Kasimcan’s mentors.

“The environments are super-fast paced and each university has their own culture when doing research, so I get to learn a lot of different ways to conduct important research,” said Kasimcan.   

The Aizenberg lab is similar to the MIX here at George �鶹��Ƶ, but with more of a focus on engineering. The Center for Nanoscale Systems is where students work on decomposition and microscopic materials too small to be seen unaided by the human eye and requires researchers to wear full-body clean room suits, Kasimcan explained. 

The team built a total of four setups this summer to measure how much light and heat is getting deflected, and how much heat transfer is present. 

 “Our goal for this summer is to build test benches. Once we perfect our devices and formulas, we will actually be able to use the test benches to get reliable results on light and heat detection,” said Kasimcan, who is enrolled in George �鶹��Ƶ’s accelerated master’s bioengineering program.    

Berk Kasimcan at Harvard University Campus. Photo provided.

Kasimcan, who is in the Honors College, credits the mentorship he received at George �鶹��Ƶ from associate professor of bioengineering Shani Ross and assistant professor of bioengineering Quentin Sanders, as well as his senior design project experience, for helping to prepare him for this internship. 

Working with Sanders in his Intelligent assistive technology, Neuromuscular control and Physiology, Wearables and Rehabilitation Robotics (ImPoWeR) lab for a year was great experience, Kasimcan said. “I worked on research addressing rehabilitation, robotics, and developed exoskeletons and prosthetic devices for individuals that have experienced a neurological injury or amputation.”

The feeling was mutual, according to Sanders. “It was a pleasure working with Berk. With his work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and general interest in the biomedical sciences, I can see him working at a top tier company within the health care industry,” said Sanders.  

“I’m sure he’ll do great wherever he ends up. I wouldn't be surprised at all if I looked up one day and Berk was the leading scientist in the research and development division of a huge company,” he added.  

Kasimcan, along with his peers, spent a year working on hydrogel research with the goal of creating a water filtration system in the event of an emergency so communities can access clean water.    

“It’s not something we can use 24/7 unfortunately, but when it comes to emergencies, it was a pretty useful device,” said Kasimcan. 

For their efforts, Kasimcan and his teammates won multiple awards including two People’s Choice Awards for engineering from George �鶹��Ƶ’s Bioengineering Department and 2nd Place in a Star-Tides Poster Competition.

Kasimcan graduated with a bachelor of science from George �鶹��Ƶ in spring 2024 and is currently pursuing his master's in engineering.

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Quentin Sanders

Shani Ross

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SeaGlide Summer Camp ends swimmingly

Martha Bushong — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 13:58:56 +0000

SeaGlide Summer Camp ends swimmingly Martha Bushong Tue, 08/06/2024 - 09:58

Lap swimmers at the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center on �鶹��Ƶ's Science and Technology Campus shared the pool with some unusual visitors on Friday, July 25, as more than a dozen high school students tested their underwater gliders on the final day of the SeaGlide Summer Camp.

Splashdown! High school campers launch their maritime robots at the pool inside the Freedom Aquatics and Fitness Center. Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of University Branding

The camp is supported by the National Science Foundation grant (NSF), BRITE Relaunch: Persistent and Accessible Maritime Monitoring (PAMM), which promotes STEM outreach activities in maritime robotics. College of Engineering and Computing Professor Leigh McCue started the camp a few years ago to help get high schoolers excited about STEM.

According to Kim Campbell, a parent of one of the high schoolers, the camp exceeded its goal. “This camp engages your child mentally and physically,” said Campbell. “I felt it resembled an abbreviated summer college course. The instructors were hands-on and made the course exciting. My child talked about the camp every day for a minimum of an hour after she departed.”

At the camp, students built an untethered underwater glider from a kit designed by RoboNation. The kit provides supplies and directions, but students can innovate and experiment with different designs. The kit includes a sports water bottle that forms the hull of the glider with material for wings that extend from the sides. The glider moves by changing its buoyancy, taking in or expelling water. making it sink and rise. As the glider travels up and down, its “wings” generate lift, which propels the glider forward. Different colored lights indicate the glider’s status as it rises, falls, and moves forward.

The high school students built their gliders from a kit and tested them in the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center pool. Photo by Ayman/Rashid/Office of University Branding

Graduate research assistant Vanessa Barth who works in McCue’s lab at the Potomac Science Center on fundamental research in maritime robotics supported by the NSF grant helped McCue coordinate and manage the camp activities. She said the students experimented through trial and error using pieces of a pool noodle or adding weights to achieve neutral buoyance with their gliders.

In the past, campers tested the devices in a four-foot-deep tank at George �鶹��Ƶ’s Innovation Drive facilities, but this year McCue wanted to try something different, so she contacted the team at the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center, and they agreed. “I want to be sure to give a shout-out to them. They couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating,” said McCue.

In the pool, the gliders could move more freely, even if they didn’t always stay within the lane lines. Sometimes they drifted into the lanes of recreational swimmers, but McCue said everybody was understanding. Some even stopped to watch and ask questions. Though the grant ends soon, McCue hopes to keep the camp going and wants to continue the partnership with the aquatic center.

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Leigh McCue-Weil

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�鶹��Ƶ's new MARC focuses on autonomy, robotics, and responsible AI

Nathan Kahl — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:30:37 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ's new MARC focuses on autonomy, robotics, and responsible AI Nathan Kahl Tue, 04/16/2024 - 10:30

Industry executives, campus leaders, faculty, donors and alumni attended the official opening of �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Engineering and Computing’s �鶹��Ƶ Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC), but the star of the show was a Boston Dynamics quadruped. As the bright yellow doglike robot held one end of the green ribbon, �鶹��Ƶ President Gregory Washington, MARC co-directors Professors Missy Cummings and Jesse Kirkpatrick cut. Afterward, the quadruped roamed the event, opening doors for attendees and demonstrating its capabilities.

The event showcased �鶹��Ƶ’s strength in important, emerging fields. In his welcoming remarks, Dean Ken Ball said, “MARC is the focal point for our research in autonomy, robotics, and AI. �鶹��Ƶ truly is a pace-setter in these areas.”

Attendees explored the new facility in �鶹��Ƶ’s Research Hall on the Fairfax Campus. The space includes a 1,649-square-foot, two-story aviary for testing drones, areas for lab experiments, faculty offices, collaboration and study areas, and a student lounge.

�鶹��Ƶ President Gregory Washington and MARC co-directors Missy Cummings and Jesse Kirkpatrick are aided by a Boston Dynamics "dog" in cutting the ribbon to open the center officially. Photo by John Boal Photography.

During her remarks, Cummings addressed the evolving role of robots in society. “People don’t want autonomy to do their creative jobs,” she said. “They want to do their art, they want to write their stories…what they want is the robot maid. Once we hit world peak population in 55 years, we won’t have enough people to do the jobs we need. The dull, dirty, dangerous jobs are a great place for robots.”

Both Ball and Washington noted that in addition to being a leader in artificial intelligence (AI), the university is focusing on responsible AI, with a graduate certificate in that field launching in fall 2024.

“We’ve been at the forefront of a whole host of outcomes and technologies that have benefited this state and this region," said Washington. "Right here in engineering, we established the first-in-the-country cybersecurity engineering program, so there’s a real lineage of innovation here. �鶹��Ƶ will be the only Virginia university to join more than 200 of the nation’s leading AI stakeholders to participate in the Department of Commerce’s initiative to support the development of trustworthy and safe AI.”

“We do autonomy, we robotics, we do AI…but we do it responsibly and that’s in our core,” said Kirkpatrick. “It’s in our principles, policies, practice, and people. It’s across the research enterprise, and it’s in our teaching. The leaders of today, tomorrow, and the day after have to get this right because it’s so absolutely critical.”

Students demonstrate their claw game-like device, named Skygripper, to be used in the upcoming Defend the Republic competition. Photo by John Boal Photography.

Attendees explored the facility and talked to students about projects. Filling the MARC aviary for the event were student-designed “blimps.” These lighter-than-air creations will soon compete in Defend the Republic, an annual event in EagleBank Arena where the autonomous flying devices compete in a Harry Potter quidditch-like game to move a ball into a target hanging from the ceiling.

"Not just for engineering, MARC will be used by numerous colleges and departments across the university for many multidisciplinary projects. This is a collaborative space for our students to work,” said Ball. “And it’s really important they have the opportunity to work in close proximity to our faculty.”

MARC’s opening is another demonstration of �鶹��Ƶ’s strength in STEM, which attracts numerous corporate partners. Venkat Potapragada of 22nd Century Technologies attended the event and said, “I’m here because this is a strategic relationship for us and a key component of our overall growth strategy. We depend on talent, and �鶹��Ƶ will help us achieve our growth goals. In the D.C. region, �鶹��Ƶ is a name to be reckoned with.”

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Off the Clock: Maria Uriyo started a nonprofit robotics group and competes in tournaments with her family

Shayla Brown — Tue, 23 May 2023 17:35:52 +0000

Off the Clock: Maria Uriyo started a nonprofit robotics group and competes in tournaments with her family Shayla Brown Tue, 05/23/2023 - 13:35

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Maria Uriyo, PhD, PMP, MHSA

Life is much more than time spent on the clock. In this series, we highlight the unique hobbies and volunteer activities of �鶹��Ƶ's talented faculty and staff.

As assistant professor and online Master of Health Administration coordinator in �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Public Health (CPH), Maria Uriyo teaches courses on Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management and co-manages the Master of Health Administration Program's capstone research class.

When she’s off the clock, she coaches and mentors children in competitive robotics through her non-profit group, Abacus Robotics, which she formed with her husband. The non-profit provides STEM programs to children within the community and its competitive team, IronMechs, competes in various tournaments throughout the year.

How did you first get started with coaching robotics?  How long have you been doing it?  

In 2012, I was drawn into robotics by my eldest daughter who was interested in being part of her school’s robotics club. By 2015, my husband and I decided to create a private team. This initial team consisted of a child from another family and all three of our children. Our goal was to provide an environment that would nurture and allow full exposure to the various phases of building a robot and being on a competitive robotics team. This team evolved over the years to what it is now.

What is the time commitment? Does it vary at different times of year?

Our teams meet on Saturday mornings for four hours, and we focus on building, coding and driving sessions. The VEX Robotics season starts in August and ends in April with tournaments at local, regional, state, national and world levels. Teams aim to qualify to compete at the state-level championships, which will then open the way for them to compete at the world level. We typically register teams to compete at four local tournaments in order for them to qualify to compete at the state level, which last two days, and at the world level, which lasts three.

The IronMechs Middle School team won the Career Readiness Online Challenge Award received at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas, on April 29.

Maria Uriyo (second from right), her husband Newland Agbenowosi (center) and assistant coach, Julie Fant (second from left) with students from their robotics team.

What has been the most meaningful or memorable experience you’ve had in this hobby?  

In 2015, our team qualified to compete at the national competition in Council Bluffs, Iowa. One memory still stands out: witnessing our team helping another team from Garland, Texas, diagnose why their robot was not functioning. The children on the team from Texas couldn’t speak English. Despite the language barrier, both teams were able to communicate through their shared objective of fixing the robot, with engineering and robotics transcending cultural boundaries and allowing for cross-cultural collaboration. As a coach, it was a truly heartwarming experience to witness.

What lessons have you learned through this experience?  

I’ve learned many lessons from coaching robotics, such as success in a team comes from members who are willing to learn, adapt, and collaborate with others while being open to new ideas. Also, robotics provides an excellent platform for bringing the design process to life. It involves working within required specifications and regulations for building robots that have various capabilities. Lastly, as a coach/mentor, it is crucial to have teaching values/principles that you adhere to. Contrarian views that shift such values will negatively affect the team’s performance.

What else do you enjoy doing in your spare time?  

When possible, I enjoy road trips with my family. I enjoy nature and love taking photos of flowers—especially roses.

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Maritime robotics summer camps move young minds toward a future in STEM

Tama Moni — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 19:40:51 +0000

Maritime robotics summer camps move young minds toward a future in STEM Tama Moni Fri, 08/12/2022 - 15:40

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Leigh McCue-Weil

Middle and high school students rolled up their sleeves and got their hands wet at �鶹��Ƶ’s first SeaPerch and SeaGlide summer camps. Leigh McCue-Weil, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, hosted the camp, with support from graduate assistant Vanessa Barth, and lab technician and shop manager Johnnie Hall. For the first two weeks in August, students built and tested these maritime robotic vehicles at the Innovative Drive shop and lab facilities located near �鶹��Ƶ’s SciTech campus.

Vanessa Barth, a PhD student studying mechanical engineering, helped McCue manage the camp activities. Barth works in McCue’s lab at the Potomac Science Center on fundamental research in maritime robotics, supported by the NSF grant. Barth said the students learned how to build SeaPerch remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, cut and drilled to form the vehicle, with a control box that the students soldered and assembled. Then the students placed them in large and small water tanks. For SeaPerch, campers used remote controls that resemble video game controllers that connect to the ROVs through a long cable. Students learned about buoyancy by trying to keep their devices afloat on the surface of the water tanks.

“I do not think they really struggled with understanding. They got better by watching and doing,” Barth said about the students grasping the concepts of the projects they built. “At the end of each day, it was really cool to see that they accomplished something.”

McCue said she started the camps so that robotics and engineering are accessible to students and so they gain self-confidence. She said the students get to use power tools for the first time and become excited about learning robotics. “The SeaPerch kit is really well designed for the middle school age group; and similarly, the SeaGlide, which is an untethered underwater glider, is a great challenge for the high schoolers.”

The camp is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, “BRITE Relaunch: Persistent and Accessible Maritime Monitoring (PAMM)" which supports STEM outreach activities in maritime robotics. For the NSF-funded project holistically, McCue said “We’re trying to build platforms that help people conduct fundamental science.” She said ROVs can be used for data collection, research, and environmental monitoring.

Within the camp, McCue said the students have been learning and working hard and it delights her to see the students’ faces light up when they complete the project. She gave thanks to both NSF support and support from multiple offices within the College of Engineering and Computing, which offered free camps for the students.

McCue said she hopes opportunities like these get students excited about STEM. “Engineering is really broad and there’s something for everyone.”

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George �鶹��Ƶ launches Virginia’s first robotics PhD

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SeaGlide Summer Camp ends swimmingly

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�鶹��Ƶ's new MARC focuses on autonomy, robotics, and responsible AI

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