Anna is a graduate student and research assistant pursuing a Masters in Computer Science. She recently travelled to Hangzhou, China with Dr. Casey Kennington to present at the 2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. They gave a tutorial focused on introducing RETICO, a “robot-ready” spoken dialogue system framework that is incremental, distributed, and multimodal, enabling more human-like communication on robotic platforms.
She is currently working on her thesis, which focuses on bringing emotion into human-robot interaction.
Why did you decide to study at Boise State?
As I progressed in my studies, I became interested in artificial intelligence, particularly how it was transforming healthcare, communication, and education. Boise State’s Computer Science program offered courses in machine learning, natural language processing, human-robot interaction, and human-machine intelligence that aligned with my interests.
During my research, I also discovered
the SLIM Lab (Speech, Language & Interactive Machines) led by Dr. Kennington. The opportunity to bring together linguistics, natural language processing, and robotics in ways that can make a difference in education and assistive technology excited me about joining Boise State and the SLIM Lab. Before coming here, I talked to other students and learned about the environment, the people, opportunities for involvement, and the outdoor activities Boise offers year-round. Since arriving, those expectations have been more than met. The
supportive community and balance between academics and life outside the lab have made for a well-rounded graduate experience.
What have you enjoyed about working as a research assistant?
My favorite part is working with the Cozmo and Misty robots, even though it can be challenging. Testing them in human studies and seeing how participants react is always interesting, and their responses often reveal things we didn’t anticipate. I have learned that human-robot interaction is much more nuanced, and small details in timing or movement can completely change the interaction. I also really value collaborating with my team members and learning from each
other’s experiences. Beyond our lab, I have enjoyed the opportunity to travel to conferences, where I get to showcase our research and see what others in the field are working on.
“There is an opportunity to get involved in research in those fields, which makes the learning experience more hands-on and practical.”
What got you interested in Computer Science?
Living in a country that has faced war, I have seen friends return with leg injuries that required the use of bionic limbs. Seeing how these devices helped them regain mobility made me see the impact that technology can have. This is what sparked my curiosity and led me to pursue my undergraduate studies in Computer Science.
In the research you’ve been a part of, what are you excited about?
Currently, I am working on my thesis, which focuses on bringing emotion into human-robot interaction. I am excited to see how adding an emotional intelligence layer is going to help people feel more comfortable with robots and make the interaction more meaningful, as it could open up new possibilities for how robots support people in everyday settings.
Do you have any advice for students looking to pursue a Masters in Computer Science?
For anyone that is interested in pursuing their Master’s in CS, Boise State offers areas such as Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Human-Robot/Human-Computer Interaction, Software Engineering, and others. There is an opportunity to get involved in research in those fields, which makes the learning experience more hands-on and practical. Additionally, the university provides resources and events to connect with local tech companies and explore opportunities.