September 3, 2026
Students work with Jubilee, a pipetting robot.
Dr. Nada Naser, Catherine M. and Scott C. Roberts faculty fellow and assistant teaching professor of Chemical Engineering, will lead the creation of an automation research and teaching laboratory this academic year, thanks to new funding from the University of Washington. Her proposal titled “Towards AI-Driven Innovation and Autonomous Experimentation for Materials Discovery and Characterization” was awarded funding by the UW Facilities Capital Architecture and Planning and the Chemical Engineering Discretionary Fund.
Naser will collaborate with Professor Lilo Pozzo and Facilities Manager Benjamin Hornburg to remodel an outdated laboratory space in the basement of Benson Hall. “Our vision is to establish a self-driving, accessible laboratory that provides a unique platform for research innovation and experiential learning for both undergraduate and graduate students across UW,” Naser says.
Naser and Pozzo are leading other innovative work related to automation in Chemical Engineering. In the spring of this year, they were awarded a grant to update the undergraduate laboratory curriculum to include the use of pipetting robots.