Education

Academic Degrees

• Ph.D. in Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University (2018)
• M.S. in Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University (2017)
• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2014)
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2011)

About Eric Markvicka

Dr. Eric Markvicka directs the Smart Materials and Robotics Laboratory, which is broadly interested in research at the intersection of computer and material science to transform how materials interact with the human body and the world around us. Specifically, we engineer new systems that are composed of intrinsically soft materials (e.g.rubbers, gels, fluids) that exhibit the mechanical compliance of natural, biological tissue to ensure safe interactions with humans. These efforts typically lie in the emerging fields of wearable computing, soft robotics, and multifunctional materials. Prof. Markvicka is the recipient of the 2021 NUtech Ventures Emerging Innovator of the Year, 2023 COE Excellence in Research Award, 2024 COE  Edgerton Innovation Award, 2024 ASME Rising Star of Mechanical Engineering, and 2024 NSF CAREER Award.

Prof. Markvicka received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to arriving at CMU, he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has been a visiting researcher at the Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, and Honeybee Robotics. He is the recipient of the graduate research fellowship awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Center for Machine Learning and Health (CMLH) at CMU, and NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium.