Professor
Georgia Institute of Technology

Ayanna Howard, Ph.D. is Professor and Linda J. and Mark C. Smith Endowed Chair in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her academic career is highlighted by her focus on intelligent agents that must interact with and in a human-centered world. This work, which addresses issues in artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotics, has resulted in over 200 peer-reviewed publications in a number of projects - from assistive robots in the home to remote robotic exploration of extreme environments. To date, her unique accomplishments have been highlighted through a number of accolades, including highlights in USA Today, Upscale, and TIME Magazine, as well as being recognized as one of the 23 most powerful women engineers in the world by Business Insider. In 2013, she founded Zyrobotics, which is currently licensing technology derived from her research and has released their first suite of products for children with differing needs.