Team 1: Oregon State University 
Advisor: Dr. Burak Sencer
Kaan Bahtiyar
Kaan Bahtiyar received his B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Control and Automation Engineering from Istanbul Technical University, Turkey, in 2019 and 2020, respectively. He received his M.S. degree in Robotics from Oregon State University, USA, in 2023, where he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Robotics. His research interests include the modeling, optimization, and control of vibrations in machining processes, as well as the design and optimization of control systems for motion delivery mechanisms.
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Seyed Mahmood Shantiaeezade
Seyed Mahmood Shantiaeezade received his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tehran. During his B.Sc., he worked on the design and control of voice-coil actuators. Seyed Mahmood is pursuing his master’s in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University’s Manufacturing Process Control Laboratory. His master’s research focuses on modeling and control of the machining process vibrations.
LinkedInOsian Leahy
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Team 2: The Chinese University of HongKong 
Advisor: Dr. Shih-Chi Chen
Wei Liu
Wei Liu received his B.S. degree in Optical Engineering from Zhejiang University in 2020. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Automation Engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he is engaged in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of laser-based micro/nanofabrication, optical metrology, image processing, and algorithm development. His work focuses on developing high-precision optical systems and computational tools for applications in advanced manufacturing and 3D micro-structuring.
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Xinyi CAI
Xinyi CAI received her B.S. in Ocean Engineering from Zhejiang University in 2020. And now Xinyi is currently a Ph. D. student in Mechanical and Automation Engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on fluorescence microscopy and nanofabrication.
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ZHANG Gaoyao
ContactTeam 3: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1)
Advisor: Dr. Alexander Slocum
Mariia Smyk
Mariia Smyk received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2023 and is currently pursuing her MS/PhD at MIT with a focus on precision engineering. Mariia relies on her industry experience in manufacturing operations in her graduate research, which is focused on the development of easy-to-manufacture high-current electrical contacts for rapid swap battery technologies.
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Savannaah Gorndon
Savannah Gordon received her BS in Meche from MIT with a concentration in Robotics in 2024. She is currently entering the second year of her Meche MS and is a part of the Electromechanical Systems Group within MIT’s RLE. Her research delves into a study of inductance for precision sensing applications. With a long-term interest in medical devices, her previous work experience includes the development of surgical prosthetics, the manufacturing of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices, and the integration of a high throughput microfluidic platform with a variety of sensors for biological research applications.
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Amber Velez
Amber Velez received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Creative Writing at MIT in 2024, and is pursuing her M.S in Mechanical Engineering at MIT at the Precision Engineering Research Group led by Professor Alexander Slocum. She is funded by the MITEI Energy Scholar fellowship for work in pulsed hydrogen electrolysis, which has potential to reduce cost of hydrogen production and advance DoE goal of $1/kg H2. Outside the lab, she can be found running by the Charles or hammering iron in the forge.
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Laura Schwendeman
A third year Ph.D. Student studying mechanical engineering at MIT. Her research focuses on developing microfluidic devices and tissue culture platforms for neuromuscular research.
ContactEmma Rutherford
ContactTeam 4: University of Texas, at Austin 
Advisor: Dr. Michael Cullinan
Kendra Nicole Hernandez
Kendra Hernandez is an undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing her B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Materials Science and Engineering. Kendra is currently an undergraduate researcher at UT Austin’s Nanoscale Design and Manufacturing Lab, where her research interests focus on the development of nanotechnology systems, conductive inks, and graphene production. At UT Austin, she is also the Finance Officer for the Texas Materials Scientists and Engineers and an undergraduate tutor. Outside of research, Kendra is an avid hiker, artist, and traveller.
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Alessandra Grady
Alessandra Grady received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in spring 2025 and is now pursuing her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UT. Alessandra has worked as a research assistant in UT Austin’s nanoscale design and manufacturing lab, researching metrology data for Atomic Force Microscopes.
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Sofia Frey
Sofia Frey is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with an expected graduation in 2026. She is currently an Undergraduate Research Assistant in UT Austin’s Nanoscale Design and Manufacturing Lab.
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Kushaal Singh
Kushaal Singh is currently pursuing his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Math at The University of Texas at Austin. Kushaal is a student in the Nanoscale Design and Manufacturing Lab, where he researches the applications of holography in volumetric additive manufacturing. His research interests include simulations, virtual metrology, and the boundaries of computation. Outside of research, Kushaal can be found reading (just read Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose) or mountain biking.
ContactGavin Hale Stafford
ContactTeam 5: San Jose State University 
Advisor: Dr. Michel Pharand
Sean Day
Sean Day received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from San Jose State University in 2023, is now a Mechanical Engineering graduate student at SJSU. His research interests include theoretical modeling and flexure design.
ContactSydney Osugi
Sydney Osugi received her B.S in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley in 2021. She is currently attending SJSU for her master’s in mechanical engineering.
ContactMcCain Pratt
ContactGabriel Rodriguez
LinkedInTeam 6: University of Wisconsin-Madison 
Advisor: Dr. Lei Zhou
Shaowei Zhan
Shaowei Zhan received his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tsinghua University. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Tsinghua University and a visiting scholar at the Precision Mechatronics and Control Lab (PMCL) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on precision motion control.
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Shuaihu Wu
Shuaihu Wu received the B.S. degree in mathematics from Paris-Saclay University, Paris, France, in 2020, and the B.S. degree, the M.Sc. degree in mechanical engineering in 2020 and 2023 respectively from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. He is currently working towards the Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering in the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research interests include sensorless control, precision motion control, and driver design.
ContactJingjie Wu
Jingjie Wu received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tongji University, Shanghai, China in 2018 and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at University of California, Los Angeles in 2020 within the field of system, dynamics and control. Jingjie is now pursuing his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Precision Motion Control Laboratory from Professor Lei Zhou. His research focuses on precision motion system design, optimization and advanced control synthesis, sensorless control for electric machine.
ContactJunnan Gao
Junnan Gao received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Southwest University, Chongqing, China, in 2016, and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University, Shenyang, China, in 2019, where he conducted research on structural dynamics. He then spent one year as a research assistant at Zhejiang University, focusing on rotor dynamics. From 2020 to 2022, he worked as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry. Junnan is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the Precision Motion Control Laboratory under the supervision of Professor Lei Zhou. His research interests primarily include structural optimization and control–structure co-design.
LinkedInTeam 7: University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1) 
Advisor: Dr. Jaime Berez
Rilyn Fox
Rilyn Fox earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in 2022. Later that year, he joined the Center for Precision Metrology at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte to pursue his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. As a research assistant, Rilyn has completed various projects focused on large scale defect detection using structured light scanning. He has completed several projects for Honeywell and Boeing, under the supervision of Dr. Edward Morse. Outside of work, Rilyn enjoys playing trumpet, beating his friends in board games, and cheering on Minnesota’s sports teams.
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Hadarel Rappaport
Hadarel Rappaport earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Carolina Charlotte in 2023. Having been involved with the Center for Precision Metrology and the ASPE chapter as an undergraduate, he decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UNC Charlotte at the start of 2024. Hadarel mainly splits his time between two projects: One, a project under supervision of Dr. Jimmie Miller, focuses on large scale manufacturing using small scale machines. Another project, under supervision of Dr. Kosta Falaggis, works on defect detection using circularly polarized light systems. In his free time, Hadarel enjoys working with audio equipment, painting, and a good night of losing in board games.
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Gabriel McAnuff
Gabriel McAnuff is a senior at UNC Charlotte, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Gabriel is eager to learn new topics, expand my understanding of engineering and science, and acquire new skills.
LinkedInSamuel Parsons
Sam Parsons is an undergraduate mechanical engineering student from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with a concentration in precision engineering and metrology.
ContactAlexander Norris
ContactTeam 8: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2)
Advisor: Dr. David Trumper
Francisco Javier Aguilar Rojas
Francisco Rojas received his B.S. in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey in 2023. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. His research focuses on microfluidics for microphysiological systems.
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Gage Lankford
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Adam Kim
Adam Kim received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering from The University of Michigan in 2021 and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2025. For Summer 2025, Adam interned at ASML working with piezoelectric actuators, which was one of the primary research topics for his M.S. thesis. He is currently pursuing a PhD with Prof. David Trumper on developing magnetically-levitated blood pumps.
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Henry Smith
Henry Smith received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2025. He is pursuing his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at MIT at the Precision Engineering Research Group. Outside of academia, Henry loves being active outdoors hiking, skiing or playing sports.
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Taryn Loutit
Taryn Loutit is from Vancouver, Canada. She earned her Bachelor’s at the University of Victoria and her Masters’ at the University of British Columbia, both in mechanical engineering. She has held several industry positions between her studies, including working as a controls engineer at Vanrx Pharmasystems (now Cytiva) and working as a mechanical design engineer at STEMCELL Technologies. She is current pursuing a PhD at MIT, where she is focussing on the design of novel electromagnetic actuators.
ContactTeam 9: University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2)
Advisor: Dr. Jaime Berez
Tien Herd
Tien Herd recieved his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2022 and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UNC Charlotte with a focus in manufacturing and metrology in 2023 and continuing to pursue a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at UNC Charlotte. His research focuses on additive manufacturing of silicon carbide while collaborating with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Outside of research, Tien is an avid outdoorsman, 3D printing enthusiast and loves anything hands-on.
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Jacob Brooks
Jacob Brooks is a PhD student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Center for Precision Metrology, advised by Dr. Edward Morse. His research focuses on the interoperability of digital metrology information. In his free time, he likes to repair old electronics and take pictures of the corners of buildings.
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Carlos Jorge Cunha Andrade
Carlos Andrade received his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Minho in 2023 with a background in Mechanical Structures. He is currently a Ph.D candidate in Mechanical Engineering at UNC Charlotte, focusing on hybrid manufacturing solutions and real time distortion control through in-situ monitoring and actuation, and digital solutions such as digital twins.
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Diptayan Dasgupta
Diptayan Dasgupta earned his B.S. in Optics and Optoelectronics Engineering from the University of Calcutta in 2023 and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Working at the Center for Precision Metrology, his research focuses on adhesive induced forces and deformations on precision optical assemblies. Outside the lab, he loves to play soccer and composes music in his basement studio.
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Mahzad Sarghassabi
Mahzad received her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tabriz University in Iran and completed her Master’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering with a focus on machining at Sabancı University in Turkey. She is currently a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, conducting research at the Center for Precision Metrology (CPM). Her doctoral work focuses on powder bed topography measurement in additive manufacturing by employing fringe projection systems.
ContactTeam 10: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (3)
Advisor: Dr. David Trumper
Joseph Ntaimo
Joseph Ntaimo received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus in musical robotics from MIT in 2023 and is continuing his graduate studies at MIT in mechanical engineering. Joseph is a member of the Precision Motion Control Laboratory under Prof. David Trumper with research focus on controls, mechatronics, actuator design, and magnetics. He also is a professional DJ, designs novel musical instruments, and loves empowering people to make.
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Ashley Margretts
Ashley Margetts received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2024 and is currently pursuing her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at MIT’s Culpepper Lab and Raman Lab. Her research focuses on the design of precision instruments to measure the displacement and force generated by contractions in engineered muscle tissue. Outside of research, Ashley loves playing volleyball, hiking, skiing, and being outside!
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Byron Seaberg
Byron Seaberg received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2020 and his S.M. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2023, where he worked in the Precision Motion Control Laboratory under Prof. David Trumper. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at MIT in the same lab, with research focused on precision mechatronics and machine design for advanced photolithography tools. His work centers on the development of novel sensor and actuator designs with applications in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. Outside of research, Byron enjoys cycling, running, and climbing.
LinkedInYoonsik Kwon
Yoonsik Kwon received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, in 2020 and 2022, respectively. He is currently working toward the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research interests include mechatronics, electromagnetic machine design, and precision motion control.
ContactYasin Ahmed
Yasin Hamed received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2024 and is currently pursuing his M.S. in Mechanical engineering from MIT with a focus on precision machine design. Yasin is currently working under Professor Martin Culpepper at MIT’s Precision Compliant Systems Lab. His research focuses on the design and development of a next generation, high-throughput microtome for producing nanoscale histological slices from brain tissue. Outside of the lab, he is an avid climber, runner, and dabbler into all things outdoors.
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