Julie Shah '04, SM '06, PhD '11, HN Slater Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, has been named the new head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro), effective May 1.
“Julie brings an exceptional record of visionary and interdisciplinary leadership to this role. “He has made substantial technical contributions in the field of robotics and ai, particularly as it relates to the future of work, and has bridged important gaps in the social, ethical and economic implications of ai and computing,” says Anantha Chandrakasan , director of MIT. innovation and strategy officer, dean of the College of Engineering and Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
In addition to her role as a faculty member at AeroAstro, Shah served as associate dean for Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing at MIT's Schwarzman School of Computing from 2019 to 2022, helping to launch a coordinated curriculum involving more than 2000 students a year at the Institute. She currently directs the Interactive Robotics Group at the MIT Computer Science and artificial intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the MIT Industrial Performance Center.
Shah and his team at Interactive Robotics Group are conducting research that aims to imagine the future of work by designing collaborative robotic companions that enhance human capability. She is expanding the use of human cognitive models for artificial intelligence and has moved her work to manufacturing assembly lines, healthcare, transportation, and defense applications. In 2020, Shah co-authored the popular book “What to Expect When You're Expecting Robots,” which explores the future of human-robot collaboration.
An expert on how humans and robots interact in the workforce, Shah was named co-director of the Future Work Initiative, a successor group to the MIT Working Group on Future Work, along with Ben Armstrong, executive director and scientist. investigator. at the MIT Industrial Performance Center. In March of this year, Shah was named co-chair of the Working Group on Generative ai and the Work of the Future, along with Armstrong and Kate Kellogg, the David J. McGrath Jr. Professor of Management and Innovation. The group is examining how generative ai tools can help deliver higher quality jobs and inclusive access to the latest technologies across sectors.
Shah's contributions as a researcher and educator have been recognized with numerous awards and honors throughout her career. She was named an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in 2017, and in 2018 she received the Academic Early Career Award from the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. Shah was also named a member of the Bisplinghoff faculty, she was named a member MIT technology ReviewNSF TR35 Listed and received the NSF Faculty Early Professional Development Award. In 2013, his work on human-robot collaboration was included in MIT technology ReviewList of 10 innovative technologies.
In January 2024, she was named to the AIAA's first Aerospace artificial intelligence Advisory Group, which was founded “to promote the appropriate use of ai technology, particularly in aeronautics, aerospace R&D, and space.” Shah currently serves as editor-in-chief of Fundamentals and Trends in Roboticsas a member of the editorial board of the AIAA Progress Series and as a member of the executive board of the Association for the Advancement of artificial intelligence.
A dedicated educator, Shah has been recognized for her collaborative and supportive approach as a mentor. Graduate students honored her as “Committed to Caring” (C2C) in 2019. For the past 10 years, she has served as an advocate, community manager, and student mentor in her role as Head of Sidney Pacific Graduate House . Community.
Shah received his bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, and his PhD in autonomous systems, all from MIT. After earning his PhD, he joined Boeing as a postdoc, before returning to MIT in 2011 as a faculty member.
Shah succeeds Professor Steven Barrett, who led AeroAstro as acting department head and then department head from May 2023.
