by Brandi Cobb
July 23rd 2021
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Alex Hunt, Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University, has been selected as the recipient of the Hinckley Professorship.
Dr. Hunt manages the Agile and Adaptive Robotics Lab and is interested in uncovering mechanisms of how animals achieve agile and adaptive control, applying these discoveries across a variety of fields. He received a prestigious NSF CAREER award earlier last year to study the role of sensory feedback in gait stability through neurorobotic modeling.
“Alex has effectively linked his cutting-edge research on neurorobotic modeling and experiments with educational experiences for large numbers of graduate and undergraduate students. He inspires through his scholarly activities and embodies the very principles of what Portland Professorships are intended to promote,” stated Richard Corsi, Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science.
The professorship is funded by Greg Hinckley and Mary Chomenko Hinckley, longtime supporters of Portland State University. Greg Hinckley is a retired president of Mentor Graphics in Wilsonville and has been involved with Portland State University for many years. He is currently a member of the Maseeh College of Engineering Deans Executive Council and serves as chair of the PSU Board of Trustees. Mary Chomenko Hinckley is an accomplished artist who serves on the PSU College of the Arts Dean’s Council. Over the years, the Hinckley’s have funded scholarships for choral music and engineering students at PSU.
“I am quite honored to receive this award from Greg Hinckley and Mary Chomenko Hinckley, “says Hunt. “This support will give PSU students the means and flexibility to pursue transformative research at the intersection of biology and robotics. I am excited to see what we can achieve together and to share this research with the world.”
To learn more about professorships, contact Kristen Norquist at norquistk@psuf.org.
Photo by So-Min Kang