Dr. Quan Nguyen

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Quan Nguyen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California. Prior to joining USC, he was a Postdoctoral Associate at the Biomimetic Robotics Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Nguyen earned his Ph.D. in 2017 from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where he received the Doctoral Dissertation Award. His research interests involve control optimization approaches in highly dynamic robotics, focusing on nonlinear control, trajectory optimization, real-time optimization-based control, and robust adaptive control. His work on the bipedal robot ATRIAS has been featured in various media outlets, including IEEE Spectrum and TechCrunch. Additionally, his contributions to the MIT Cheetah 3 robot have gained significant coverage from major networks such as CNN and BBC. Throughout his career, Nguyen has been recognized with multiple awards for his research presentations, including being a Systems Paper Finalist at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference and winning the Presentation Session at the American Control Conference.

Research Interests

Awards

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Charles Lee Powell Foundation Faculty Research Award

2020-01-01
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Carnegie Mellon University Doctoral Dissertation Award

2017-01-01
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Robotics: Science Systems (RSS) Systems Paper Award Finalist

2017-01-01
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American Control Conference (ACC) Presentation Session

2016-01-01

Requirements for University of Southern California

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
GRE General
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Math, or Hard Science
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Personal Statement
  • Resume/CV
  • Letters of Recommendation (not required for MS CS, but allowed)
Specialization Notes

GRE is NOT required for Master's applicants for 2025-2026.