Hello!
About Me
Hi there! I'm a PhD Candidate at UCLA in the Verifiable and Control-Theoretic Robotics (VECTR) Lab working under the supervision of Dr. Brett Lopez. My research focuses on creating real-time trajectory planning frameworks for mobile robots that enables safe and efficient navigation in complex environments. Broadly, my research interests include trajectory planning, optimal control, graph search algorithms, and machine learning for robotics applications.
Projects
View all projects →Optimal Rocket Launch
The purpose of the class project was to derive an optimal controller for a rocket launch with both constrained and non-constrained terminal states.
Batch Normalization on the Hessian of a Shallow Network
The purpose of this project was to investigate why batch normalization leads to faster convergence through experimental results on a two layer neural network and analyses on the loss function's Hessian.
Support Vector Machine with Sample Selection
My project team developed a sample selection process using linear programming and integer linear programming techniques for a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifying binary MNIST and Gaussian data.
CNNs and RNNs on Classifying EEG Signals
Evaluated the performance of multiple architectures (shallow and deep CNNs, LSTMs, GRUs, and hybrid CNN–RNN models) in classifying electroencephalography (EEG) signals.
Kalman Filter Estimation
The purpose of the class project was to calibrate an accelerometer using GPS measurements. A Kalman Filter was employed to estimate the position, velocity, and accelerometer bias and the estimator was verified in simulation.
Buoy Buddy - A Retrievable Ocean Mooring
For my undergraduate capstone project, my team created a novel retrievable (waste-free) mooring system at 1/10th of the price of competitors for use in NOAA's underwater research.
Experience
Graduate Student Researcher
- Creating innovative, real-time trajectory planning frameworks combining graph search algorithms (Dijkstra's, A*) with optimal control to ensure safe, long-range, dynamically feasible trajectories.
- Applying learning methods to learn search heuristics and solutions to general optimal control problems.
- Designing, fabricating, and testing custom uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) for hardware experiments.
- Mentored 9 highschool and undergraduate students, providing guidance in their research projects.
Publications
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles
- 3.9 GPA
- Mentorship Board Member for Society of Women Engineers
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles
- 3.9 GPA
- Vice President of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Graduate Student Council
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Santa Barbara
- Named Outstanding Senior with 3.9 GPA (Rank 1/91)
- President of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
- President of Engineers Without Borders
- Received Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Award ($750)