University of California Berkeley

AUG 2024 - MAY 2029  •  Berkeley, CA
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Dr. Negar Mehr

Yale University

SEP 2020 - MAY 2024  •  New Haven, CT
B.S. Engineering Sciences (Mechanical) and B.S. Computer Science
GPA: 3.95 | Major GPA: 3.99

Awards:

Notable Coursework:

Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science  •   Yale Computer Science

University of Wisconsin Madison

JUN 2018 - JUN 2020  •  Madison, WI
Dual Enrollment

Classes:

Safety-Critical Ergodic Exploration in Cluttered Environments

via Control Barrier Functions

Accepted to ICRA 2023

Second Author

In this paper, we address the problem of safe trajectory planning for autonomous search and exploration in constrained, cluttered environments. Guaranteeing safe (collision-free) trajectories is a challenging problem that has garnered significant due to its importance in the successful utilization of robots in search and exploration tasks. This work contributes a method that generates guaranteed safety-critical search trajectories in a cluttered environment. Our approach integrates safety-critical constraints using discrete control bar- rier functions (DCBFs) with ergodic trajectory optimization to enable safe exploration. Ergodic trajectory optimization plans continuous exploratory trajectories that guarantee complete coverage of a space. We demonstrate through simulated and experimental results on a drone that our approach is able to generate trajectories that enable safe and effective exploration. Furthermore, we show the efficacy of our approach for safe exploration using real-world single- and multi- drone platforms.

Google Scholar  •   ArXiv  •   Video  •   Poster

Time Optimal Ergodic Search

Accepted to RSS 2023

First Author

Best Paper Award at RSS 2023

Robots with the ability to balance time against the thoroughness of search have the potential to provide time-critical assistance in applications such as search and rescue. Current advances in ergodic coverage-based search methods have enabled robots to completely explore and search an area in a fixed amount of time. However, optimizing time against the quality of autonomous ergodic search has yet to be demonstrated. In this paper, we investigate solutions to the time-optimal ergodic search problem for fast and adaptive robotic search and exploration. We pose the problem as a minimum time problem with an ergodic in- equality constraint whose upper bound regulates and balances the granularity of search against time. Solutions to the problem are presented analytically using Pontryagin’s conditions of optimality and demonstrated numerically through a direct transcription optimization approach. We show the efficacy of the approach in generating time-optimal ergodic search trajectories in simulation and with drone experiments in a cluttered environment. Obstacle avoidance is shown to be readily integrated into our formulation, and we perform ablation studies that investigate parameter dependence on optimized time and trajectory sensitivity for search.

Google Scholar  •   ArXiv  •   Video  •   Poster

All America Academic

JUN 2020

A national award for not only having varsity-lettered in swimming during my four years of high school but also finishing my first seven semesters with a minimum 3.75 GPA.

Scholar-Athlete Recognition

JUN 2020

"This student is recognized for both academic and athletic achievement by meeting the requirements of multi-season participation while maintaining an 'A' or 'B' grade point average. The NIAAA commends the excellence displayed as a student-athlete participating in an education-based school athletic program."

Birdwell Solutions

JUN 2020 - SEP 2020
Intern

Summary:

Birdwell Solutions helps companies bring their business to the internet through a variety of mediums including app development.

My Role:

I am currently learning front-end and back-end development on their mobile app API.

UniMatch

APR 2020 - SEP 2020
Data Analyst and Marketing Coordinator

Summary:

An online start-up business that I joined comprised of students from all over the world. We are working to create a web app service that matches high-school students with their best fit college beyond the test scores and the extracurriculars, instead focusing on factors related to the student's experience and school's culture.

My Role:

I worked to help collect and format the data for the website while cross-referencing them from difference sources to evaluate all factors of the college that might affect the student. I also helped organize the marketing and outreach efforts in order to promote our service to school districts and students around the world.

BadgerBOTS FRC Team 1306

MAY 2017 - AUG 2020
Co-President

Summary:

A team of high-schoolers from all around the greater Madison area competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Our challenge each year is to build a 100+ lb robot in six weeks that is designed to play a specific game that is revealed to us at the start of those six weeks. We also participate in various outreach events like Maker Faires and science nights all over Southern Wisconsin. Recently we began advocacy efforts in Washington D.C. through the National Advocacy Conference and began pushing forward support in our state government as well.

My Role:

I have been member since 2017 but was selected as President in 2018. I organized all of our team's proceedings from the "build season" to our travel, lodging, and food expenses at competitions to our summer classes to our team's finances and recruitment.

2018 Robot: Turbo

2019 Robot: Janus

Team 1306's Website

Elevate Learning

MAY 2020 - SEP 2020
Tutor

Summary:

An online peer tutoring business that servers students from all over the world looking for help with standardized tests like ACT, SAT, and APs.

My Role:

I was a student tutor working to help multiple students with SAT prep and college essay writing.

Elevate Learning's Website

Hill Farm Swim Club

SUMMER 2019/2020
Lifeguard and Swim Instructor

Summary:

A local private swimming pool in the Madison Hill Farms Neighborhood.

My Role:

I was a lifeguard and swim instructor at the pool.

Hill Farm Website

2020 U.S. Presidential Scholar

MAY 2020

A prestigious nomination given to 161 distinguished, graduating seniors around the US. "One of the Nation's highest honors for high school students."

Madison.com       NBC15.com       Channel3000.com       dpi.wi.gov

UW Madison Mechanical Engineering

MAY 2019 - SEP 2019
Research Intern

Summary:

A research internship at UW Madison's Mechanical Engineering Department where I helped analyze the energy efficiencies of hip-driven versus ankle-driven walking through the use of a rimless-wheel, passive-walking robot called TorsoBot.

My Role:

I redesigned, laser-cut, programmed, tested, and recorded and analyzed data on the robot in order to evaluate the different energy efficiencies. I used Solidworks to design the body, Python to program TorsoBot, and I used MATLAB to analyze the data. Below is my final poster summarizing my research.

TorsoBot CAD

The Final TorsoBot

Research Poster

Yale's Intelligent Autonomy Lab

DEC 2021 - PRESENT
Undergraduate Researcher

Summary:

Performing research concerning the proof of feasibility of control barrier functions in a homogeneous multi-agent system performing ergodic search.

My Role:

Working with another undergraduate student to complete this research by creating our own code base and developing it on a swarm of 10 Bitcraze drones.

Papers:

Safety-Critical Ergodic Search

Time Optimal Ergodic Search

Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute for Summer Scholars

MAY 2023 - AUGUST 2023
Undergraduate Researcher

Summary:

Working in Professor Howie Choset's BioRobotics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute.

My Role:

Conducting research related to ergodic search over meshable surfaces and modular robotics.

Video  •   Poster

Robotics: Science and Systems 2023 Conference

Best Paper Award

JULY 2023

My first-author paper "Time Optimal Ergodic Search" won the Best Paper Award at the RSS 2023 Conference.

Google Scholar  •   ArXiv  •   Video  •   Poster

IEEE Robotics and Automation Society

APRIL 2024 - PRESENT

Student Representative

A member of the Multi-Robot Systems Technical Committee responsible for organizing workshops, communicating with members and students, and representing the student perspective.

Website

Phi Beta Kappa

MAY 2024

A member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society selected for academic excellence.

Website

Donald Warren McCroskey Memorial Prize

MAY 2024

Awarded to a senior who is deserving of the greatest distinction for scholarly achievement in fields related to mechanics and its applications.

Website

Paschar Consulting

JUL 2022 - PRESENT

Summary:

Paschar Consulting seeks to provide quality, one-on-one mentoring to high school and college students seeking help with essay writing and applications.

My Role:

I worked closely with many students to guide them through both schooling and the college application process along with many other extracurricular pursuits such as essay and research competitions

Berkeley Fellowship

AUG 2024

A prestigious award given to highly qualified entering doctoral students.

Ivy Tutors Network

APR 2023 - NOV 2023

Summary:

Ivy Tutors Network seeks to provide personilzed education and mentorship in a variety of academic pursuits.

My Role:

I worked closely with students to help them prepare for the SAT and/or the ACT.

Private Tutoring

NOV 2023 - PRESENT

Summary:

Worked independently with a number of students to help them with ACT/SAT exams, AP Subject exams, STEM courses in school, and college application consulting.

Tau Beta Pi

OCT 2023

A member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society selected for academic excellence.

Website

Computing Research Association's Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award

Honorable Mention

OCT 2023

An award selected for the research I conducted while I was an undergraduate student. Nominated by the Yale Computer Science Department.

Website

West High School Peer Tutors

SEP 2017 - JUN 2020
Student Tutor

Summary:

A club that connects students with peer tutors that can assist them in various classes and subjects. Forms closer connection and fosters more tailored help because peers are often more familiar with curricula and teachers.

My Role:

Volunteered to tutor through club for three school years during Study Halls and lunch periods on subjects like Math (from Algebra II to Calculus) and Science (Chemistry, Physics, etc.)

Madison Aquatic Club/West High School Men's Swim and Dive

SEP 2016 - JUN 2020
Swimmer/Volunteer

Summary:

I swam with my high school team for 4 years (two state championships) and my club team for 6 years (two state championships). Both these teams not only offered an amazing program and community but also opportunities to help and give back to the community.

My Role:

I volunteered by teaching underprivileged kids to swim, helping out with swim clinics, teaching and demoing at fundraisers, directing traffic during the IronMan, and assisting at All-City (a greater Madison outdoor swim meet).

2019 Wisconsin High School State Champions

2019 Wisconsin Short Course State Champions

Alexander Academy

FEB 2021 - APR 2023
Academic Tutor

Summary:

A company dedicated to providing quality test prep at a high level to high school students looking to achieve their potential and prepare for college. Company was acquired by IvyTutors.

My Role:

I provide consistent, one-on-one tutoring to a small number of students to hold them accountable and constantly help improve their abilities as a student and a test taker.

Code Haven at Yale

SEP 2020 - PRESENT
Classroom Lead/Treasurer

Summary:

An organization that introduces Computer Science to elementary and middle school students through weekly meetings. Many middle schools in New Haven don’t have computer science programs. Yale has a wealth of computer science knowledge in its students, faculty, and resources. We want to combine the two worlds and increase interest and awareness of computer science in local schools.

My Role:

Fall of 2020 I was a mentor in the Bishop Woods classroom and then for the spring of 2021 I was selected to be Treasurer of Code Haven and Classroom Lead of another Bishop Woods classroom. As a mentor, I worked with a handful of students to help them through learning the curriculum. As a Classroom Lead, I would communicate with the classroom teacher and lead the entire class in Bishop Woods through the main portion of the curriculum before proceeding to oversee all the sub-classes. As Treasurer, I managed the finances for the organization, applied for grants, kept track of the expenses, and distributed reimbursements.

National Honor Society

SEP 2018

Summary:

West High School's chapter of the National Honor Society. Students qualify based on an application, community service, and academic standing.

My Role:

Maintained academic standing, volunteered at multiple events, and participated in other chapter activities.

Spanish Honor Society

JAN 2018

Summary:

West High School's chapter of the Spanish Honor Society. Students qualify based on an application and academic standing in Spanish classes.

My Role:

Maintained academic standing, volunteered at multiple events, and participated in fundraisers for hispanic youth.

National Merit Finalist

JAN 2020

A scholarship in which I was awarded $2500 towards my college tuition. My PSAT score qualified me to become a Semifinalist and through an additional application was selected as a Finalist and recipient.

More Information

National AP Scholar

JUL 2019

Awarded to students with an average score of 4 or higher and all AP exams and scores of either 4 or 5 on at least eight tests.

More Information

Dean's List Semifinalist

MAR 2019

Nominated by mentors on my FIRST Robotics Competition team to be considered for the Dean's List Finalist Award at our Regional Competition.

More Information