Jacqueline Libby, PhD

jlibby (at) stevens (dot) edu

Dr. Libby is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. She earned her PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and her B.Sc. in Computer Science from Brown University. Prior to joining Stevens, she worked as a postdoctoral associate at New York University Tandon School of Engineering. She is a recipient of the NSF ERI award in 2023 and the NYU CUSP Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2021. She serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering. At Stevens, she directs the Robotic Systems for Health Lab, where she works with her team on the development of soft robotic orthotics and wearables for medical rehabilitation. The team investigates novel soft robotic silicone fabrication techniques, intelligent and automated modeling of physical-human robot interaction, the fabrication of stretchable sensors, learning-based robotic control, and human-centric design. She combines her background in soft robotics, mechanical design, machine learning, robotic perception, biosensing, and software engineering to build fully integrated systems for physical Human-Robot Interaction in the medical domain. Dr. Libby also teaches undergraduate and graduat- level courses in Statics & Engineering Mechanics, Software Engineering Design, and Applied Machine Learning.

Mostafa Mo. Massoud

mmassoud (at) stevens (dot) edu

Research interests: My research interests include soft robotics, pneumatic soft actuators, learning-based control, embedded systems, and soft sensors. I am especially interested in developing intelligent soft robotic systems that combine real-time control, sensing, and mechatronic design.

Contributions: In the lab, I work on learning-based optimal control of soft actuators, dual-loop pressure control for pneumatic soft robots, and fabrication of soft force sensors and pressure grids using direct-ink-writing. My current work combines real-time embedded control, sensor validation, and experimental soft robotics.

Harshit Trusharkumar Thakker

hthakker (at) stevens (dot) edu

Research Interests: Soft Robotic Design, Simulation and Fabrication, Robotic Rehabilitation, Reinforcement Learning, Generative Design

Contributions: My research centers on developing scalable fabrication methods for soft robots, advancing silicone 3D printing, and integrating computational modeling with automated optimization of soft robotic actuators and reinforcement learning.

Paul Edward Dela Cruz

pdelacr1 (at) stevens (dot) edu

Research Interests: My research interests are the design and control of robots.

Contributions: In the lab, I primarily work on CAD design and fabrication using pour-casting molds for pneumatic soft-bending actuators. I also work on scalable frameworks for pneumatic control of soft robots.

Ethaniel Cancio

ecancio (at) stevens.edu

Research interests: My research interests are foam and silicone fabrication and mold design.

Contributions: I work on human-customized mold designs for soft foam and silicone orthotics. This involves sustainable mold designs for mass customization and mold designs for silicone rubber and open cell silicone foams.

Maya Meents

ecancio (at) stevens.edu

Research interests: Mechanical Design, 3D modelling, and Design Optimization.

Contributions: Currently, I assist PhD students in the lab with soft robotic development, including iterative design modifications and fabrication with soft materials.

William A. Smith

will.a.smith.726 (at) gmail (dot) com

Research interests: My interests are in the advancement of medical technology while simultaneously developing my skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and the use of design software.

Contributions: In the lab, I focus on the development of an exoglove that uses soft, silicone pneumatic actuators which act as artificial muscles and perform therapeutic maneuvers to relieve hand pain.

Timothy Kennedy

tkennedy1 (at) stevens (dot) edu

Research interests: medical robotics, particularly in the design of custom hardware.

Contributions: I’m currently working on pneumatic controls and sensor design.

Rena Kim

Research interests: My current research interests are bio-inspired robotics, medical robotics, and soft robotics where I enjoy working on mechanical design, mechatronics, system integration, and machine learning.

Contributions: Currently in the lab I am working on fabrication and characterization of flexible sensors.

Shahaji Deshmukh

Research Interests: My primary interests include 3D computer vision, multiview vision systems, keypoint detection systems, and camera calibration.

Contributions: I completed my M.S. Thesis in Applied AI under Prof. Libby. During my time in the lab, I focused on stereo vision – specifically synchronizing and calibrating cameras to measure 3D objects in the real world using keypoint detection.

Current Status: I am currently a Senior Software Engineer at Brambles. I build computer vision algorithms to track assets and generate actionable business intelligence.

Mikaela (Cal) Christie

Research Interests: all things robotics, especially in the biomedical engineering field. I enjoy computer-aided design (CAD) and hands-on prototyping, and I like to be part of research that allows for personal engineering development through strategic learning.

Contributions: In the lab, I worked extensively with SolidWorks, modeling molds and running simulation studies. I learned hands-on fabrication techniques for silicone and foam casting. Overall, I strengthened my engineering design skills through design for additive manufacturing (3D printing), creating technical drawings with GD&T, and iterating designs to improve functionality.

Jessica Malek

Research interests: Working as an undergraduate Research Assistant in the Robotics Systems for Health Lab under Dr. Libby has given me experiences that have strengthened my interests in robotics, additive manufacturing and advanced manufacturing methods, Lean Six Sigma methods, deep & machine learning, fluids, product design and development processes, and so much more.

Contributions: I contributed to research in medical soft robotics and physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) through the design, fabrication, and testing of fast pneumatic network (FPN) silicone actuators. My work involved CAD modeling, manufacturing, rapid prototyping, and experimental testing, while collaborating with faculty and graduate researchers on ongoing laboratory projects.

Ashley Settle

Research interests: My research interests include robotics, mechatronics, and advanced sensing technologies with a focus on subsystem design and integration.

Contributions: I contributed to the development of foamBots: soft robots made out of foam. I worked on designing, fabricating, and testing foam-casting molds. My work included CAD modeling in SolidWorks, 3D printing mold components, conducting silicone foam fabrication experiments, and developing fabrication and training procedures for future lab members.

Jagger Langhorn

Research interests: I love the interdisciplinary nature of robotics and its potential to improve healthcare, hazardous occupations, and quality of life.

Contributions: I worked as an undergraduate summer intern to develop a pneumatic controller and actuation module.

Maeryn Erdheim

Research Interests: Soft Robotics, Project Management

Contributions: Helped with the design and development of soft robotic gloves for neurorehabilitation.

Antonia Salluce

Research interests: My research interests are in mechanical product design, focused on developing engineering concepts into functional physical products. I’m particularly interested in wearable soft robotics and advanced additive manufacturing.

Contributions: My undergraduate research in the Robotic Systems for Health Lab focused on soft robotic systems for rehabilitation, and I’m now looking to broaden that experience into other areas of mechanical product development, including multidisciplinary design and prototyping.

Current status: I joined Schneider Electric full-time as an R&D Electro-Mechanical Product Design Engineer, where I work on the design and development of Automatic Transfer Switches, a product used in the power industry. My focus is on mechanical design, product development, and testing. I am also a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, enrolled in the Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) with a concentration in Product Design

Max-William Kanz

Research interests: My research intersets focus on healthcare and wearable robotics, particularly the development of assistive technologies that improve rehabilitation and quality of life for individuals with physical impairments. I find robotic devices that support patient recovery and independence very fascinating.

Contributions: I worked on the soft robotic exoglove designed to assist individuals recovering from stroke. I helped with patient-specific customization, as well as helping with designing and fabricating silicone actuators.

Current Status: I graduated from Stevens in May 2026 with a B.E. in mechanical engineering. I started a full-time job in the Operations Leadership Development Program with Siemens Healthineers in their Diagnostics business line.

Gailen Davis

Research Interests: My research interests include product development, advanced manufacturing, data-driven testing including finite element analysis (FEA), and complex engineering systems.

Contributions: In the lab, I worked on FEM/FEA analysis and physical testing for soft pneumatic actuator designs. These efforts allowed real data to be compared to simulated designs to aid in the iterative design process.

Current Status: I am employed at General Dynamics Mission Systems as a mechanical/systems engineer in the engineering leadership program (ELP) working on undersea mission solutions. I graduated from Stevens in Spring 2026 with a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering.