Odest Chadwicke (Chad) Jenkins, assistant professor of computer science, and Pradeep Guduru, assistant professor engineering, have received Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for outstanding contributions to their fields. The two Brown professors, along with 54 other young scientists from across the country, received their awards during a White House ceremony Nov. 1, 2007...

...Jenkins’ work focuses on learning the basic building blocks of human motion with the goal of improving robotic interactions with humans. He performs motion capture research on living subjects and uses the data to understand human movement. The data can then be used to teach robots to move in a more natural manner and ultimately to collaborate better with humans.

Guduru’s research looks at the mechanics of adhesion and friction...Understanding these mechanical principles can lead to useful applications for humans and robots.