Julie Shah, a distinguished scholar and leader in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), has been announced as the new head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) starting May 1. Recognized widely for her significant technological contributions and grasp of the social, ethical, and economic dimensions of AI, she portrays a paradigm of visionary and interdisciplinary leadership.
Beside her standing as a faculty member in AeroAstro, Shah has impacted the institute profoundly during her tenure as associate dean of Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing in the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing from 2019 to 2022. Through her efforts, she successfully initiated a curriculum attracting over 2,000 students each year. She currently spearheads the Interactive Robotics Group in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), and MIT’s Industrial Performance Center.
Under Shah’s leadership, the Interactive Robotics Group envisages the future of work, creating collaborative robot teammates to augment human capability. Shah’s work spans from incorporating human cognitive models for AI to applying her research insights in fields like manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and defense. She co-authored the book “What to Expect When You’re Expecting Robots,” which offers a provocative exploration of human-robot collaboration.
As a prominent authority on humans and robots in the workforce, Shah was appointed co-director of the Work of the Future Initiative. This initiative, a successor to MIT’s Task Force on the Work of the Future, is conducted in collaboration with Ben Armstrong, executive director, and research scientist at MIT’s Industrial Performance Center. Recently, she was added as a co-leader of the Working Group on Generative AI and the Work of the Future. The group is investigating the potential of generative AI tools in shaping robust employment opportunities and facilitating widespread access to the latest technologies across sectors.
Shah’s impactful tenure as a researcher and educator has earned her numerous accolades in the course of her career. She was honored as an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in 2017, and received the coveted IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Academic Early Career Award. Among her other commendations include the Bisplinghoff Faculty Fellow, MIT Technology Review’s TR35 List, and an NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award.
In 2024, Shah was appointed to the AIAA Aerospace Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group, formed to foster the beneficial use of AI technology, especially in aeronautics, aerospace R&D, and space domains. Presently she serves as editor-in-chief of Foundations and Trends in Robotics and is an executive council member of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.
Praised for her collaborative and supportive mentorship, Shah received the “Committed to Caring” award from graduate students in 2019. For the last decade, she has demonstrated unmatched stewardship, advocacy, and mentorship by leading the Sidney Pacific Graduate Community.
Shah holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, and a doctorate in autonomous systems from MIT. Following her Ph.D., she worked as a postdoc at Boeing before rejoining MIT as a faculty member in 2011. Shah will succeed Professor Steven Barrett as the head of AeroAstro. Barrett has held the position since May 2023.
