Dr. Nialah Wilson-Small
![]() Bio
CV I am an Industry Assistant Professor at NYU in the Tandon School of Engineering. I teach Mechatronics and other robotics courses in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. My research centers coordination algorithms for multi-robot systems and human-drone interactions. Specifically, I study how drones can use tactile feedback to influence human motion. My work is at the cross section of design, human-robot interaction, and autonomy. I earned my PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University where I became the first Black woman in the university's history to do so. I also earned an MS in Aerospace Engineering from Cornell and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University. A little more about me: I love combining robotics and dance in my professional and personal life, and I'm passionate about K12+ education reform. |
News
1/11/2023 My paper "Exploring Human-Drone Collaboration Through Contact Improvisation" was accepted as a Late Breaking Report to the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)! 12/3/2022 My paper "A Drone Teacher: Designing Physical Human-Drone Interactions for Movement Instruction" was accepted to the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)! 8/8/2022 I started a new position as an Industry Assistant Professor at NYU! I'll be teaching robotics courses in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department in the Tandon School of Engineering. 6/27/22 I successfully defended my dissertation entitled "Embodied Physical Interactions for Robot-to-Robot and Robot-to-Human Coordination"! 5/18/21 My abstract, "Designing Tactile Human-Drone Interactions for Movement Instruction" was accepted for an oral presentation at the inaugural STEMNoire Conference. 2/11/21 I was featured in the Black in Robotics 'Meet the Members' Series. |