Robin Murphy

Robin R. Murphy is the Raytheon Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University and directs the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) and the Center for Emergency Informatics. She received a B.M.E. in mechanical engineering in 1980 from Georgia Institute of Technology, swearing never to set foot in school again. She worked in industry before surprising herself and returning to Georgia Tech to earn the first Ph.D. in robotics from the College of Computing (1992). A founder of the field of rescue robotics and Roboticists Without Borders, she has been in over 24 disasters not of her own making, including the 9/11 World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina, and Fukushima Daiichi, inspiring the character of Jae in Charlie Huston’s scifi book Skinner and cognitive engineer David Woods to pose the (Robin) Murphy’s Law of Autonomy based on her observations of how autonomy underperforms in the field. She has written or edited three books, one of which was referenced by Michael Crichton for his best seller Prey about robots running amok. Her latest book Disaster Robotics won the 2014 PROSE honorable mention for engineering and science writing. She is an IEEE Fellow and her most recent professional award is the 2014 ACM Eugene L. Lawler Award for Humanitarian Contributions Within Computer Science and Informatics. Murphy has been declared an “Innovator in AI” by TIME, an “Alpha Geek” by WIRED Magazine, one of the “Most Influential Women in Technology” by Fast Company, and one of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers for 2015 by Government Technology Magazine, and #14 on the list of the 30 Most Innovative Women Professors Alive Today. Her recent TED talk provides an overview of disaster robotics.