Challen Enninful Adu is a current Robotics PhD Candidate at the University of Michigan doing research on safe motion planning and optimal control of high dimensional robot systems. His work spans various robotic systems, from ground vehicles to manipulators and legged robots. He also has experience deploying algorithms on real-world robots at scale with his work on the applied science team at Amazon robotics.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh university and a masters in robotics from the University of Michigan. During his PhD, he has won various research fellowships and awards like the Robotics Institute fellowship and the ARC research excellence award.

Melanie Jetter is an environmental health scientist with a background in environmental science and public health. She is passionate about using data driven approaches to develop and implement strategies that address environmental justice, climate justice and health equity in communities that are most vulnerable to environmental hazards and the adverse effects of climate change.

Melanie has a passion for data analytics and statistics including previous experience as a survey statistician with the U.S. Census Bureau collecting and analyzing survey data.

Melanie holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental, Earth, and Ocean Sciences and a Master’s of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Massachusetts.

Maya Luster is the RALI Customer Experience Research Team Lead. She is a current PhD Candidate in Industrial Engineering, with a focus in Cognitive Engineering at Purdue University. She is an Associate Human Factors Professional (AHFP) certified by the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE), and currently works in the Next-generation Human-systems and Cognitive Engineering (NHanCE) lab at Purdue University. She earned her MS in Industrial and System Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in 2018 and her BS in Electrical Engineering from Mississippi State University (MSU) in 2015. She has experience as a GRA in the Occupational Biomechanics Lab at RIT and Undergraduate Research Assistant with the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) at MSU. She also has co-op and internship industry experience with numerous Fortune 500 companies, including Amazon Robotics AI, Fiat Chrysler Automotive, and Ford Motor Company.

James A. Meadows is currently at Overland AI and the systems safety lead developing safety assurance of autonomous systems. and engineer. His expertise lies in developing innovative, data-driven solutions that enhance the safety and performance of autonomous vehicles and manufacturing systems.

At Torc Robotics, James serves as a Software Engineer, where he leads efforts to evaluate and improve the safety performance of autonomous trucks.

Before joining Torc, James contributed to the development of AI-based electromechanical systems at Amazon Robotics AI and used data-driven methods to enhance manufacturing reliability at Georgia Pacific.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University and is pursuing a Master’s degree in computer science with a specialization in Interactive Intelligence at  Georgia Institute of Technology.

Aravind Samba Murthy is a Sr. Manager with Walmart Advanced Systems & Robotics (now part of Symbotic), working on micro fulfillment automation for accelerated grocery pickup and delivery. He previously worked on autonomous vehicles design at Cruise, built mobile robots at Amazon Robotics, and designed elevator control systems at Thyssenkrupp Elevators. Aravind has a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering and an MBA degree, both from Georgia Institute of Technology. He has published 11 conference papers and 3 patents in the fields of industrial automation and transportation electrification. 

Michelle Warren is a mid-level Electrical Engineer and Software Engineer with a strong passion for perception systems, bulk electronic systems (namely transmission), and STEM-powered community outreach. Michelle has 8+ years of multifaceted experience including pivotal roles at Georgia Power, specializing in Protection & Controls Field Services, at the United States Patent Office as a patent examiner, examining patents in the Guidance & Navigation Controls field, and at the Boeing Company, specializing in RADAR integration and autonomy systems. Her expertise in machine learning, sensor fusion, perception systems, and materials science is demonstrated through impactful internships and graduate research. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Howard University and a Master's Degree from Georgia Tech.