Dr. Nadia Figueroa

Assistant Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Nadia Figueroa. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Nadia Figueroa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) at the University of Pennsylvania. She specializes in developing human-aware robotic systems that enable robots to physically interact with humans within dynamic environments. Her research aims to create robots capable of safely manipulating deformable objects and collaborating with humans in shared workspaces, emphasizing safety and efficiency. She completed her Ph.D. in Robotics, Control, and Intelligent Systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), where her dissertation focused on high-level robot learning for complex tasks. Dr. Figueroa has been recognized for her contributions to the field, being a finalist for prestigious awards such as the Georges Giralt Ph.D. award and the KUKA Innovation Award. Her work intersects various disciplines, including robotics, machine learning, control theory, artificial intelligence, perception, and psychology, particularly from a physical human-robot interaction perspective.

Research Interests

Experience

Postdoctoral Associate

2019-01-01 — 2021-01-01

Interactive Robotics Group, Computer Science Artificial Intelligence Laboratory • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Conducted research on interactive robotics focusing on collaborative tasks between humans and robots.

Requirements for University of Pennsylvania

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.6
GRE General
Verbal
Required:162
Quantitative
Required:162
Overall
Required:162
GMAT
Total Score
Required:728
Overall
Required:728
TOEFL
Total
Required:115
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or equivalent Strong quantitative background
Application Checklist
  • Academic Transcripts
  • Letters of Recommendation (2-3)
  • Resume/CV
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Essays
Specialization Notes

Wharton Doctoral programs cover fields like Finance, Marketing, Management, and Operations, Information and Decisions.