On October 26, 2024, the robotics community gathered at the MIT Samberg Center for MassRobotics’ 2nd annual Women in Robotics Medal Gala, celebrating three women who are advancing robotics with visionary research and innovation. This one-of-a-kind event, hosted by MassRobotics, was a night of recognition and inspiration for trailblazing female roboticists. The gala showcased the importance of empowering women in tech and highlighted the vital role mentorship plays in building a diverse robotics ecosystem.

The evening began with gratitude toward MassRobotics’ founding sponsors, including Amazon Robotics, which has supported a substantial endowment, enabling cash prizes for honorees. Other key sponsors included the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Rethink Robotics, Harmonic Drive, MITRE, and HarborOne Bank. Each sponsor’s support demonstrated a commitment to fostering an inclusive robotics landscape that encourages innovation and collaboration across industry and academia.

Joyce Sidopolous, MassRobotics co-founder and Chief of Operations, highlighted the unique purpose of the Women in Robotics Medal, created to celebrate women’s achievements in a field traditionally underrepresented by female professionals. “Prior to this award, there had never been a recognition with a cash prize and medal specifically for women roboticists,” Sidopolous said, underscoring the significance of the evening’s honors.

The highlight of the gala was the medal presentations, recognizing outstanding contributions in robotics research. The prestigious Robotics Medal was awarded to Prof. Cynthia Breazeal, a renowned professor at MIT and founder of the Personal Robots Group at MIT’s Media Lab. Professor Breazeal’s groundbreaking work in social robotics and human-robot interaction was acknowledged as transformative, marking her as a true pioneer in the field. Her early work with the expressive robot Kismet helped establish the social robotics discipline, and her keynote speech at the gala encouraged the audience to “dare mighty things” and “lift others as we climb.”

The Rising Star Awards, celebrating up-and-coming talent in robotics, went to two innovative young professors:

• Prof. Heather Culbertson of the University of Southern California, recognized for her work in haptic technology. Her HaRVI Lab explores the human sense of touch, creating virtual interactions that feel real. Prof. Culbertson’s contributions to virtual and augmented reality environments are pushing the boundaries of immersive training and human-machine communication.
• Prof. Josie Hughes from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), honored for her cutting-edge research in soft robotics and distributed intelligence. Her work advances the development of flexible, adaptive robots, with potential applications in fields ranging from healthcare to environmental monitoring.

The gala also provided an inspiring platform to recognize the MassRobotics Jumpstart Fellowship Program, a five-month initiative designed to introduce high school girls to robotics and engineering. Launched four years ago and supported by La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, the Jumpstart program meets every Saturday, offering a curriculum of CAD, programming, electronics, and fabrication. It also builds a supportive community for young women through mentorship and networking with industry professionals. The program culminates in a paid internship, allowing participants to gain hands-on experience in top tech companies.

A memorable highlight of the evening was the moving speech by Ruth Shiferaw, an alumna of the very first Jumpstart cohort and now a senior at MIT studying mechanical engineering. Ruth spoke of her journey from a curious child involved with the Science Club for Girls to a MassRobotics Jumpstart Fellow, where she developed technical skills and connections in her field. She fondly recalled learning to solder, program, and work with an Arduino during her Saturdays at MassRobotics. Her internship at ActivSurgical as a high schooler exposed her to medical robotics, sparking a passion for developing technologies that improve human safety.

Reflecting on her journey, Ruth emphasized the value of mentorship, sharing that she later became a mentor to the newest Jumpstart Fellows through her internship at GreenSight. “It was a full-circle moment,” she said, “standing on the other side, surrounded by the next generation of young women in robotics.” Ruth’s words resonated deeply with the audience, embodying the evening’s message of paying it forward and supporting young women entering the field.

Tye Brady, Chief Technologist of Robotics at Amazon and co-founder of MassRobotics, along with Professor Daniela Rus, Director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), were integral to establishing the Women in Robotics Medal, championing the mission to recognize women’s contributions and inspire a more inclusive future for the field.

Nominations for the 2025 Robotics Medal and Rising Star Awards are now open until December 20, 2024, with recipients to be announced at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) next May in Atlanta, GA. The gala closed with a heartfelt thank you to the MassRobotics team and mentors who make programs like Jumpstart possible. Attendees were then invited to enjoy dessert, coffee, and continued networking.

The 2024 Women in Robotics Gala was not just a celebration of individual achievements but a powerful reminder of the importance of community, mentorship, and lifting one another as we pave the way for a more inclusive future in robotics.