Sam Michalka

Sam Michalka is an Associate Professor of Computational Neuroscience and Engineering at Olin College of Engineering. She holds dual bachelor's degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Psychological Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a Master's in Psychology (Brain, Behavior, & Cognition), and a Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from Boston University.

• Ph.D., Computational Neuroscience, Boston University
• M.A., Psychology (Brain, Behavior, & Cognition), Boston University
• B.S., Psychological Science, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Dr. Michalka's research focuses on brain-machine interfaces, machine learning, and auditory/visual attention mechanisms. She employs non-invasive methods like EEG to study cognitive processes, while also advancing STEM education through data fluency and computational thinking integration. Her work bridges engineering and neuroscience, with applications in augmented reality and educational technology.

Dr. Michalka previously served as a postdoctoral fellow at Boston University's Center for Computational Neuroscience and Neural Technology. She has also worked as an engineer at General Electric and led educational outreach initiatives as Executive Director of Machine Science.

The Human Augmentation Lab (https://humanaugmentationlab.github.io/) serves as her primary research platform, combining human augmentation, machine learning, and interdisciplinary education efforts.