Marcia O'Malley facts for kids

Marcia Kilchenman O'Malley is an American mechanical engineer. She is a special professor at Rice University in the George R. Brown School of Engineering. She also helps lead research and new ideas for the engineering school.

Her work focuses on creating systems that help people move and feel better. This includes designing exoskeletons (robot suits), neuroprosthetics (devices controlled by the brain), haptic technology (which lets you feel things in virtual reality), and brain–computer interfaces (ways to control computers with your thoughts).

Her Journey in Engineering

Marcia O'Malley studied mechanical engineering at Purdue University. She graduated in 1996. After that, she went to Vanderbilt University for more studies. She earned her master's degree in 1999 and her Ph.D. in 2001.

She joined the faculty at Rice University in 2001. She is now the Thomas Michael Panos Family Professor in Mechanical Engineering. She also helps with research and new ideas as an associate dean.

Awards and Special Honors

Marcia O'Malley has received many important awards for her work.

In 2014, she was named an ASME Fellow. This is a high honor from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

In 2019, she became an IEEE Fellow. This award was for her work on robots that help people recover and for haptic systems.

In 2022, she was named a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. This was for her great contributions to rehabilitation robotics, haptics, and robotic surgery.

Purdue University also gave her their Outstanding Mechanical Engineer Award in 2019. In 2020, she was chosen to give the ASME Dynamic Systems and Controls Division Nyquist Lecture.