Dr. Ayanna Howard

Dr. Ayanna Howard is all about robots.

An Associate Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Howard is founder of Georgia Tech’s Human-Automation Systems (HumAnS) Lab, where she is an educator, researcher, and innovator focused on technology development for robots that interact with a human-centered world.

After receiving her B.S. from Brown University, her M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, Dr. Howard was a member of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. She has made significant contributions in the areas of artificial intelligence, computer vision and robotics, and continues to produce novel ideas and supporting research results for applications that range from assistive robots that provide self-care in the home, to interfacing climate-change scientists and their robots in the Arctic.

Dr. Howard’s research record and her breadth of experience and success in several key technology areas help her bring a unique perspective to the academic environment. A tremendous source of knowledge, leadership and inspiration for students – from hosting her Astronaut-Robot summer design workshop for students to producing the book “Intelligence for Space Robotics” – she continues to positively affect and change the world around her.