Dr. Stefanos Nikolaidis

Associate Professor

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Biography

Stefanos Nikolaidis is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southern California and leads the Interactive and Collaborative Autonomous Robotics Systems (ICAROS) lab. His research focuses on enabling robots to interact robustly with users in unconstrained dynamic environments. The ICAROS lab integrates research on computational human-robot interaction and automatic scenario generation, making fundamental advances in developing interactive robots that assist users in complex, real-world tasks. Stefanos completed his PhD at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, and holds master’s degrees from MIT and the University of Tokyo, as well as a bachelor’s degree from the National Technical University of Athens. He has previously worked as a research associate at the University of Washington and as a research specialist at MIT, as well as with the gaming company Square Enix in Tokyo. Stefanos has received multiple recognitions including the NSF CAREER Award in 2022 and various awards for his conference papers. His work aims to enhance the robustness of human-robot interactions through innovative automation techniques, which have earned him several significant paper award nominations in prestigious conferences.

Research Interests

Awards

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Okawa Research Grant

2024-01-01
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HRI Systems Paper Award Finalist

2023-01-01
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GECCO Evolutionary Machine Learning Paper Award

2023-01-01
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Bodossaki Foundation Distinguished Young Scientists Award Applied Science Finalist

2023-01-01
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NSF CAREER Award

2022-01-01
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Agilent Early Career Professor Award

2022-01-01
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IROS Cognitive Robotics Paper Award Finalist

2019-01-01

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.