Dr. Maja J Matarić

Photo courtesy of Phil Channing, philchanning@cox.net

Department:  Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics
Research Focus:  Socially Assistive Robotics
Classes Taught:  CSCI 445, CSCI 584

What attracted you to engineering?
I was originally interested in computer science and neuroscience; I found their intersection in Artificial Intelligence, and then found that the most interesting part of AI to me was robotics, especially intelligent helpful (assistive) robots. Robotics is a field of engineering, but socially assistive robotics requires interdisciplinary expertise and study that also includes cognitive science, social science, and the health sciences, among other fields of study.

What experiences during your undergraduate career helped prepare you for working in Academia?
Mentoring and tutoring younger students, doing research for faculty members as an undergraduate, then doing independent research, and finally doing an honors undergraduate thesis project.

What was your most difficult class as an undergrad?
Probably calculus, because it was taught without any context, any motivation as to why it was useful in the real world, and any excitement. This is still true all too often for math courses, and it is a pity, as math can be made both accessible and exciting when taught well.

Do you have any advice for students thinking about getting a PhD?
To get a PhD one has to be ready to embrace uncertainty about one's pursuits; uncertainty about the direction one's research will take and agility to learn, grow and change. Doing research is the most exciting thing I can think of, as it is boundless and without top-down control, but it is hard work and not as lucrative as some careers. It also requires writing well, raising funds, and managing accounts and students; people don't often mention this but it is important to like those aspects of the job and be good at them.

How do you see the field of engineering growing in the next 15 years?
Engineering will become increasingly more diverse (more women, more under-represented minorities) and as a result also richer in areas it pursues. Engineering will also increasingly focus on key global challenges, such as energy and health, as these are with us for many decades to come and have finally been recognized as urgent.

Dr. Amy Rechenmacher

Photo courtesy of WiSE

Department:  Civil Engineering
Research Focus:  Granular material behavior
Classes Taught:  CE 205: Statics, CE 467: Intro Geotechnical Engr, CE 533: Geotechnical Earthquake Engr, CE 534: Design of Earth Structures

What attracted you to engineering?
Math and Science

What experiences during your undergraduate career helped prepare you for working in Academia?
Encouragement from my profs to pursue academia

What was your most difficult class as an undergrad?
Multivariable Calculus

Do you have any advice for students thinking about getting a PhD?
If you're really smart and really driven, do it, door is wide open.  Opportunities abound for challenging and gratifying work.

Click here to view more faculty profiles, featuring Dr. Andrea Armani and Dr. Elaine Chew!