MassRobotics welcomed our community to the 4th Annual Women in Robotics Medal Gala, a night dedicated to celebrating two remarkable women who are leading the way in robotics innovation and impact.

The gala is more than an awards ceremony. It’s a celebration of progress, mentorship, and the collective power of our robotics ecosystem. This year’s event brought together industry leaders, academics, startup founders, and students, all united by a shared goal: to honor the achievements of women who are shaping the future of robotics and to inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps.

Empowering the Next Generation: The Jumpstart Fellowship

That commitment to the next generation is something we live out year-round. At MassRobotics, we’re passionate about cultivating diverse talent in robotics, and each year we host the Girls Jumpstart Fellowship Program, a five-month Saturday program that gives high school girls technical skills in CAD, programming, electronics, and fabrication, along with mentorship from industry leaders.

The fellowship, supported by La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, MassTech Collaborative, and UMass Lowell, has now graduated 115 young women, most of whom have gone on to pursue STEM fields.

This year, we were delighted to hear from Christiana Nguyen, a Jumpstart alumna from Cohort 3 and an MIT mechanical engineering student, who shared her journey and how the program shaped her path. Reflecting on the mentorship she received, she said, “Hearing how they had built their careers, I began to see engineering not only as something I loved, but as a future I could pursue with the right resources.”

As a high school senior, Christiana completed her Jumpstart Fellowship internship at Maglev Aero. She returned to Maglev this past summer as a rising college senior, where she had the opportunity to work with a more recent Jumpstart Fellow. “I came into the program surrounded by people who showed me what was possible, and later I found myself in a position to do the same for someone else.”

Her story is a testament to the many mentors who dedicate their Saturdays to teaching, inspiring, and guiding these students. We were grateful that so many of them could join us for the evening.

Celebrating Women Leading Robotics

Christiana’s story reflects the kind of community MassRobotics was built to foster. Tye Brady, co-founder and Board Chair of MassRobotics and Chief Technologist at Amazon Robotics, took the stage to share the founding story of MassRobotics, a vision built from the start on the belief that great things happen when people come together. He spoke about how community has always been at the heart of the organization’s mission, stressing that real progress in robotics depends on academia, industry, and government working side by side. Tye also reflected on why the Women in Robotics Medal matters: it celebrates the remarkable female leaders shaping our field today, and it shows the next generation of innovators that there is a place for them in robotics and that their contributions will be recognized.

Honoring the 2026 Medal Recipients

Daniela Rus, Director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and a highly decorated roboticist, introduced this year’s medal recipients. She noted that nominations came in from many countries and spanned a wide range of robotics research areas, which made the selection process especially difficult.

Rising Star Medal: Professor Ayoung Kim, Seoul National University

Congratulations to our 2026 Rising Star Medal recipient, Professor Ayoung Kim of Seoul National University, for her influential work in robotic perception, spatial AI, and navigation, helping robots understand and operate reliably in the complexity of the physical world.

Robotics Medal: Professor Allison Okamura, Stanford University

We also congratulate Professor Allison Okamura of Stanford University, recipient of the 2026 Robotics Medal, for her pioneering contributions to haptics, medical robotics, and human-centered systems that enable robots to interact with greater sensitivity, dexterity, and care.

Allison shared memories from her career, saying, “One of the things I love about this field is that there is an opportunity for everyone to contribute. No matter your gender, age, or background, this is a field that needs not only technical expertise, but also creativity, domain expertise, and, well, humanity to have a positive impact on human health, well-being, and prosperity.”

She closed by speaking directly to the aspiring students in the room: “It’s important to know that when you hear this story and see where I and other senior roboticists in this room are today, it may seem like a carefully planned path. But when you are traveling that path, exploring the many options and dealing with setbacks, it does not feel that way at all.” She went on to say, “Thinking about one’s career is important, but concentrating on the key research to be done, the impact that robotics can have, and how to learn and teach and collaborate together is how we ALL succeed.”

A Night of Recognition and Gratitude

None of this would be possible without the generous support of our partners. Thank you to Amazon Robotics for establishing an endowment with MassRobotics to ensure that the medal recipients receive not only recognition, and a medal, but also a meaningful cash award.

We also extend heartfelt thanks to the sponsors and partners who made this evening possible:

• Amazon Robotics, a founding and annual sponsor of MassRobotics, was our Platinum Sponsor for the Gala and brought many members of its amazing team to the event. Amazon Robotics also sponsors our annual Drone Academy initiative, now heading into its eighth year.
• Honeywell Aerospace sponsored our photography for the evening as well as a Female Founders table and a Jumpstart table.
• Harmonic Drive, a founding sponsor and longtime annual supporter, sponsored the beautiful table centerpieces.
• Maxon, a MassRobotics sponsor for many years, sponsored our desserts.
• The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a constant supporter of our programs, sponsored a Jumpstart table.
• Mintz sponsored a Female Founders table.

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate this year’s honorees, we’re already looking ahead to the next. Nominations are now open for the 5th Annual Women in Robotics Medal, including the 2027 Robotics Medal and Rising Star Medal. Submissions will be accepted through December 20, 2026, at TheRoboticsMedal.org, with recipients to be announced at ICRA in May 2027.