Ada-Rhodes Short facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ada-Rhodes Short
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|---|---|
| Born |
Calgary, Alberta
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| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Alma mater | Oregon State University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | robotics, computational cognition, design |
| Institutions | University of Nebraska Omaha, Sphero, Lora DiCarlo |
| Thesis |
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| Doctoral advisor | Bryony DuPont |
Ada-Rhodes Short is a Canadian mechanical engineer and roboticist. She is also an activist who works for transgender rights. She co-hosts a podcast called Totally Trans: Searching for the Trans Canon. She helped start the first LGBTQ student group at Baylor University.
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Learning and Helping Others
Ada-Rhodes Short went to Baylor University in 2010. She worked to create a student club there. This club aimed to discuss different types of people and fight against unfair treatment. The group became Gamma Alpha Upsilon. It was Baylor's first unofficial LGBTQ student organization.
Her College Degrees
Short earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2014. She then got a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2016. This was from Colorado School of Mines. There, she studied how to manage risks for machines that make their own choices.
She completed her PhD at Oregon State University. Her research focused on creating a computer program. This program could learn and handle unexpected problems.
Activism and Awards
In 2018, Short gave a speech at the Corvallis Women's March. She talked about challenges faced by transgender people. These challenges included not having enough food or stable housing.
In 2019, she received the Soroptimists Ruby Award. This award honors women who help other women. It recognized her work in helping communities. In 2021, Short fought against new laws in Texas. These laws were unfair to transgender people. She helped start a protest group called Trans Resistance of Texas (TRoT).
Her Work in Engineering
Ada-Rhodes Short worked as a mechanical engineer at Sphero. She was there from 2014 to 2017. She helped create a special device. This device was used in the BB-8 Robot toy from Star Wars.
Innovations in Technology
In 2018, she joined Lora DiCarlo. This company makes technology products. She worked there as a Senior Mechatronic Design Engineer until 2020. While at Lora DiCarlo, Short helped develop a hands-free device. This device was called the Osé.
The Osé won a 2019 CES Innovation Award. This award was in the robotics and drones category. The award was first taken away. This happened because of a CES rule about certain companies. But it was later given back. Many people said the decision to take it away was unfair.
