Dawn Hustig-Schultz

Curriculum Vitae

University of California Santa Cruz
Computer Engineering Department
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
dhustigs@ucsc.edu

 

Education

University of California, Santa Cruz
Ph.D., Computer Engineering, Expected 2020

University of California, Santa Cruz
M.S., Computer Engineering, 2017
GPA: 3.73

University of California, Davis
B.S., Computer Engineering, 2014
GPA: 3.47

University of Surrey
Postgraduate Diploma, Russian Language and Society, 2003

University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
Bachelor of Arts, Linguistics, 2001
Russian and East European Studies Minor, 2001

Research Interests

Hybrid systems, optimization, accelerated gradient descent methods

Publications
[1] D.M. Hustig-Schultz and Ricardo G. Sanfelice, "A Hybrid Algorithm for Practical Nonconvex Optimization," Submitted 2020.
[2]
D.M. Hustig-Schultz and Ricardo G. Sanfelice, "A Robust Hybrid Heavy Ball Algorithm, for Optimization with High Performance," Proceedings of the American Control Conference, 2019.
[3]
D.M. Hustig-Schultz, "Morphological Design and Control of a Bio-Inspired, Structurally Compliant Quadruped," Master's Thesis, U.C. Santa Cruz, 2017.
[4] Dawn Hustig-Schultz, Vytas SunSpiral, and Mircea Teodorescu, "Morphological Optimization for Tensegrity Quadruped Locomotion," Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Vancouver, Canada, Sept. 2017.
[5]
Dawn Hustig-Schultz, Vytas SunSpiral, and Mircea Teodorescu, "Morphological Design for Controlled Tensegrity Quadruped Locomotion," Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Daejeon, South Korea, Oct. 2016.
[6] Igor Paprotny, Dawn Hustig-Schultz, Jess Dominguez, Richard Farley, Paul A. Solomon, Richard M. White, and Lara Gundel, "Prototype of a Portable Cellphone-Connected Particulate Matter (PM) Sensor," Poster presented at:the 31st Annual Conference of the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR 2012), October 2012.

Professional Experience

Graduate Student Researcher, Hybrid Systems Laboratory, Department of Computer Engineering, UC Santa Cruz, Oct. 2017 Present.
• Design and modelling of global and robust hybrid optimization algorithms as dynamical systems for improved performance, for both convex and noncovex objective functions, to improve upon existing accelerated gradient descent algorithms such as the heavy ball method and Nesterov's accelerated gradient descent.
• Proof of stability and robustness of the algorithms through Lyapunov stability theory and LaSalle's invariance principle, and analysis of convergence rate through class kappa-ell bounds.
• Verification of hybrid optimization algorithms through simulation with MATLAB.
• Article accepted for publication at the 2019 American Control Conference, and another submitted to the 2020 American Control Conference.

Graduate Student Instructor, Logic Design Laboratory (CMPE 100/L), Department of Computer
Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, April 2017 June 2017.
• Assist in developing lab content, including an assignment to program a game with VGA output.
• Migrate lab assignments from ISE/Basys2 to Vivado/Basys3.
• Create demo videos for labs and conduct live demo in class.
• Maintain course webpage and Piazza forum site.
• Hold office hours for student questions about the lab portion of the course.
• Keep records of student lab demos.
• Calculate and assign final course grades.

Teaching Assistant, Logic Design (CMPE 100/L), Department of Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Jan. 2015 June 2015, Jan 2016 June 2016, Jan 2017 June 2017.
• Assist students in a laboratory course with logic design strategies for programming FPGAs and creating logic circuits on a breadboard, as well as helping them with software/hardware debugging.
• Grading of student laboratory reports and exams.

Teaching Assistant, Robotic Automation (CMPE 8), Department of Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Sept. 2015 –– Jan 2016, Sept. 2016--Jan 2017.
• Assist students in a laboratory with programming Scribbler robots in the Spin programming language, and with programming in MATLAB to process experimental data.
• Assist students with homework and lab related questions during office hours.
• Grading of student laboratory reports and exams.

Dynamic Tensegrity Robotics Researcher, Intelligent Robotics Group, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, July 2016 –– Sept. 2016.
• Mechanical design and actuation of a hybrid soft robotic quadruped in simulation, using Central Pattern Generators, a neural network, and machine learning techniques.
• Configuration of Pleiades supercomputer for machine learning simulations.

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Integration Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis, Sept. 2013 –– Feb. 2014
• Programmed C and C++ libraries which interface with the Ch language, to enhance the functionality of the Linkbots.
• Wrote documentation on programming Linkbots in the Ch scripting language.

Undergraduate Researcher, U.S. Department of Energy SULI Program, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA July 2011 –– Sept. 2011
• Development of an Android application to collect and analyze MEMS air pollution sensor data in real time.
• Design and implementation of circuitry to facilitate use of microcontroller boards.
• Presented project results to research group, corporate representatives, and other undergraduate researchers.

Relevant Coursework
Undergraduate: Physics, Introduction to Systems Programming in UNIX, Data Structures, Programming Languages, Assembly Programming for Microcomputers, Device Physics I, Electronic Circuits I, Electronic Circuits II, Digital Systems, Digital Systems II, Algorithm Design, Probabilistic Analysis of Electrical and Computer Systems, Computer Networks, Operating Systems, Introduction to Computer Architecture, Embedded Systems, Autonomous Vehicle Design Project
Graduate: Mechatronics, Introduction to Feedback Control, Models of Robotic Manipulation, Analysis of Algorithms, Computer Architecture, Bio--inspired Locomotion, Machine Learning, Online Machine Learning, Hybrid Dynamical Systems

Technical Skills
• Domain Knowledge: Modeling and Simulation of Control Algorithms, Optimization, Nonlinear/Hybrid Control Systems, PID, Tensegrity Robotics, Soft Robotics, Reinforcement Learning, Technical Writing
• Programming Languages: C, C++, Verilog, python, Java, LaTeX, x86, MIPS, ARM, MATLAB, SPICE
• Software: Simulink, AutoDesk Inventor, SolidWorks, NTRT (NASA Tensegrity Robotics Toolkit), VIM, Altera Quartus II, ModelSim, Xilinx ISE, MS Visual Studio, Eclipse, MS Word/Excel/Power Point, Open Office
• Platforms/OS: MS Windows 7/8/10 UNIX/Linux/Mac OS 10, Arduino/PIC32/StellarisWare/Freescale Microcontrollers, GitHub, SVN

Awards
• American Control Conference Student Travel Award: April 2019
• Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Fellowship: June 2018
• CE Summer 2017 Fellowship: June 2017
• UCSC Graduate Division Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award 2016-2017: June 2017
• NSF Travel Grant, IROS: Oct. 2016

Professional Affiliations and Honor Societies
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Phi Theta Kappa (Multidisciplinary)

Relevant Volunteer Work

Secretary, Engineering Club, American River College, October 2010-June 2011.
Collaborated with six officers to provide more than 60 club members with engineering related opportunities. Assisted in the coordination of fundraising activities and planning of projects. Networked with students and other organizations. Recorded minutes at executive and general meetings. Emailed reminders for meetings and fundraisers to club members. Kept email and phone contact list updated. Maintained club Facebook page.