Kyle Johnson

I am a fourth year Ph.D. Candidate in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington (UW) where I work in the SSOL Lab with professor Vikram Iyer. I also work with Sawyer Fuller in the Autonomous Insect Robotics Lab and Shyam Gollakota in the Networks & Mobile Systems lab. My research is focused on leveraging combinations of low-power actuators and the structural properties in systems, like the bistability demonstrated in leaf-out origami, to create insect-scale and battery-free autonomous robots optimized for resource constrained applications. I am a co-founder and the current executive Director of the nonprofit AVELA- A Vision for Engineering Literacy & Access, as well as a co-founder of the UW Black Graduate Student Association. I enjoy being a part of outreach efforts, and I aspire to help decrease the educational opportunity gaps currently present in the education system.