Maria Castano, a Ph.D. student in the Michigan State University College of Engineering, has received a 2016 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The award will support her continued work on MSU’s gliding robotic fish, and other small robotic fish being developed at the university.
Castano works with MSU Foundation Professor Xiaobo Tan, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, whose research group is advancing the use of small robotic fish to improve the health of the Great Lakes by tracking invasive species.
“My work will focus on investigating methods to coordinate and control different locomotion modes on autonomous, multimodal robots,” Castano said. “Receiving this fellowship is incredible and unbelievable. I hope I am able to contribute to society and the scientific community.”
Castano, a student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was among hundreds of graduate students who presented their research at the MSU Engineering Graduate Research Symposium on March 31. This year’s awards went to 2,000 individuals out of 17,000 applicants.
Originally from Venezuela, Castano earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Florida International University in May 2014.