Andrew Wagenmaker awarded NSF Fellowship for machine learning

Andrew Wagenmaker (BSE MSE EE ’16 ’17) was recently awarded an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to continue research on machine learning. Wagenmaker will utilize the award as he pursues his doctoral degree at the University of Washington this fall in Seattle.

While at Michigan, Wagenmaker worked with Raj Nadakuditi and Necmiye Ozay, both assistant professors in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department.

Wagenmaker was part of the College of Engineering Honors Program, and finished an honors thesis with Professor Ozay on control theory. After finishing his undergraduate study early, he continued on to earn his master’s degree through the Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Study Program (SUGS). His master’s work focused on machine learning with Professor Nadakuditi.

“My future research will be at the intersection of machine learning and control theory,” Wagenmaker says.

As a child, Wagenmaker was always tinkering, and excelled in math and physics. Beyond his aptitude, however, Wagenmaker identifies with a deeper purpose for pursuing engineering.

“The work I’m doing in engineering is going to positively impact the world, it’s going to make the world a better place, and it’s going to improve people’s lives,” he explains.

Wagenmaker isn’t wasting any time to begin improving lives. With the time off before starting the next step in his academics, Wagenmaker is currently resettling refugees by helping them prepare for and find employment.