Veronica J. Santos

Veronica J. Santos is Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Faculty Affairs at UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, a role she assumed on January 1, 2021 as the first woman to hold this position. She joined UCLA's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2014 and directs the UCLA Biomechatronics Lab.

Her educational background includes:

• Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering (Music Minor) from UC Berkeley
• M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Biometry Minor) from Cornell University

Dr. Santos' research pioneers human hand biomechanics and robotic systems, focusing on tactile sensors, prosthetics, and grasp manipulation. Her work bridges biomechanics and robotics to develop advanced human-machine interfaces, with applications in assistive technologies and dexterous manipulation systems.

Her honors include:

• National Science Foundation CAREER Award
• UCLA MAE Department Teaching Award
• Arizona State University Young Investigator Award
• Two ASU Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Top 5% Teaching Awards

As Associate Editor for ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction and former Editor-in-Chief of the 2020 IEEE Haptics Symposium, she shapes scholarly discourse in robotics. Her NSF-funded research drives innovation in biomechatronic systems while advancing inclusive engineering education through faculty development initiatives.

The UCLA Biomechatronics Lab under her leadership integrates mechanical engineering principles with neurophysiology to create next-generation prosthetic and robotic systems.