Russ Tedrake is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, and a member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. He received his B.S.E. in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1999, and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 2004. After graduation, he spent a year with the MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department as a Postdoctoral Associate. During his education, he has spent time at Microsoft, Microsoft Research, and the Santa Fe Institute.

Professor Tedrake’s research group is interested in underactuated motor control systems in animals and machines that are capable of executing dynamically dexterous tasks and interacting with uncertain environments. They believe that the design of these control systems is intimately related to the mechanical designs of their machines, and that tools from machine learning and optimal control can be used to exploit this coupling when classical control techniques fail. Current projects include robust and efficient bipedal locomotion on flat terrain, multi-legged locomotion over extreme terrain, flapping-winged flight, and feedback control for fluid dynamics.

Mike is a senior with a focus on circuit design and energy systems. Following graduation in June, 2008, he will begin his Masters degree thesis work with Draper Laboratory this summer.

Keone, a freshman from Kamuela, Hawaii, is already taking leadership roles in MIT's student government.

Both Mike and Keone, having been involved with DEECS as a counselor and a participant, are looking forward to hosting another exciting program!