Assistant Professor Raj Korpan has been named a 2025–2026 BRES Faculty Fellow and awarded a $5,000 BRES Seed Grant from the CUNY Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies (BRES) Collaboration Hub. His funded research project, “The Intersectional Needs of LGBTQ+ Communities for Robot Companions,” examines how race, gender, and sexuality shape the design of AI-driven robot companions. By integrating insights from Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies, human-robot interaction, and social justice frameworks, the project aims to develop inclusive, identity-affirming robotics that serve historically marginalized communities. The award recognizes Professor Korpan’s innovative, community-centered approach to AI and robotics.
Professor Korpan joined Hunter in 2023, where he leads the Trustworthy, Intelligent, and Explainable Robotics (TIER) Lab. He earned a PhD in Computer Science from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2021. His research sits at the intersection of robotics, AI, and human-robot interaction, focusing on the development of socially intelligent and ethically responsible robotic systems. He explores how autonomous robots can navigate human environments, communicate decisions in natural language, and affirm identity and build trust, particularly for marginalized communities. His work integrates cognitive models, voting-based decision-making, and participatory design to create robots that are not only functional but also inclusive and trustworthy. A co-founder of Queer in Robotics, Professor Korpan is deeply committed to advancing equity in computing.
