A. MICHAEL WEST

Michael West is a second-year graduate student in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research focuses on investigating how humans are able to manipulate complex objects in an effort to design better control algorithms for robots involved in physical interaction. Furthermore, a greater understanding of human motor control can lead to better rehabilitation techniques. Additionally, he has explored how humans are able to perceive underlying dynamics purely based on visual observation of kinematic motion. This work aims to better human robot-collaboration. He is also a MIT Office of Graduate Education Diversity Fellowship recipient, an Alfred P. Sloan Scholar, GEM University Associate Fellow, and a Ford Foundation Fellow. In 2018, Michael received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, from Yale University. He has been a passionate volunteer and mentor for students from underrepresented minorities through his work in STEM teaching and mentoring programs. This includes but is not limited to his positions as President of the National Society of Black Engineers Yale Chapter, Treasurer of the Academy of Courageous Minority Engineers at MIT, Program Leader for the MIT Summer Research Program, and Graduate Diversity Ambassador at MIT. Michael hopes to continue to support and guide students of all backgrounds, especially those underrepresented, towards STEM fields.

• West, A. M., Huber, M.E., & Hogan, N. (In Revision). Role of Path Information in Visual Perception of Joint Stiffness. Journal of Neurophysiology.
• West, A. M., & Hogan, N. (2020, May). An Analysis of Kinematic Hand Synergies During Wire-Harness Installation. Oral presentation at the 2020 International Conference of Robotics and Automation, Paris.
• Huber, M.E., West, A. M., Folinus, C., & Hogan, N. (2019, October). Visual Perception of Joint Stiffness from Multi-Joint Limb Motion. Poster presented at the 2019 Annual Conference of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL.
• West, A. M., Mandl, H., McCann, C., & Gunawardena, N. (2017, April). A Novel Sternotomy Saw Guide Incorporating Integrated Rigid Fixation. Poster presented at the 2017 Design of Medical Devices Conference, Minnesota, MN.

• Ford Foundation Fellowship, Ford Foundation – 2020
• Ford Foundation Fellowship Honorable Mention – Ford Foundation, 2018
• GEM University Associate Fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 2018
• OGE Diversity Fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technolog – 2018