‘Maithilee Kunda’
Provost commissions Women in STEM Initiative, 3 in engineering appointed to committee
Apr. 10, 2023—A new Women in STEM Initiative will address the need for a larger and more skilled U.S. workforce in science, engineering and math by inspiring, supporting and mentoring young women to develop their fullest potential within those fields. Launched by the Office of the Provost, the initiative builds on Vanderbilt’s partnership with the STEMM Opportunity...
New $20 million AI Institute targets engaged learning and education
Jul. 29, 2021—Multi-institute NSF-funded project to create AI tools to radically improve STEM learning Vanderbilt University engineering and education faculty are part of a new $20 million research institute funded by the National Science Foundation that aims to create artificial intelligence tools to advance human learning and education. The NSF AI Institute for Engaged Learning is one...
Vanderbilt leads $5 million project to revolutionize neurodiverse employment through AI
Sep. 10, 2020—NSF grant aligns with school’s Inclusion Engineering focus The National Science Foundation has awarded a highly competitive $5 million grant to Vanderbilt University that greatly expands a School of Engineering-led project for creating novel AI technology and tools and platforms that train and support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the workplace. The significant federal...
Film Detective helps kids with autism interpret actors’ actions
Jan. 27, 2020— Elementary school teachers seemed particularly excited about Film Detective, a game to help adolescents on the autism spectrum learn to decode social scenarios, at the 7th annual ED Games Expo Jan. 9 in Washington, D.C. “They liked how engaging the game is, using television and movie clips as our instructional content,” said Maithilee Kunda,...
CS senior empowers women through tech
Mar. 27, 2019—Miti Joshi admits that before she stepped foot on Vanderbilt’s campus, she was very wary of what would later become one of her greatest passions. “I’m moving across the world alone, and I need to take a leap of faith here,” said Joshi, an international student from Mumbai, India. “Let me try the craziest thing...
Senior creates app for orangutans with guidance from CS professor
Feb. 24, 2019—Ben Scheer jumps imagination-first into big projects, and he’s not afraid of a lot of trial and error. The Vanderbilt human and organizational development and economics double major has worked on dozens of entrepreneurial endeavors ranging from coding to music to virtual reality to photography, with his biggest focus being on connecting with people and solving problems. “It’s really...
Engineers develop technologies to make autism treatment more effective, accessible
Apr. 17, 2018—April is National Autism Awareness Month A recent CDC announcement reports that one in 88 children have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, up from one in 110 released in 2009. ASD refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and...
AI that thinks like people with autism will benefit software and learning tools
Sep. 6, 2017—A computer on the third floor of Vanderbilt’s Featheringill Hall scans geometric patterns, deciding which missing shapes would most likely fit in. It fills in those blanks about as well as a human 17-year-old would, and it’s getting smarter, thanks to a study of the way certain people on the autism spectrum see the world....