Women Lead Robotics at Maryland for the First Time in Club’s History

On any given evening in the University of Maryland’s engineering labs, the hum of 3D printers and the glow of soldering irons signal another round of preparations for the next big robotics competition. But this year, something new is powering the workbench energy behind Robotics at Maryland (R@M): a historic shift in leadership. For the first time since its founding in 2008, the student-run underwater robotics team is being led by a woman president and vice president, with more women stepping into executive roles than ever before—an achievement timed fittingly with Women’s History Month and marks a milestone for the club and its members.

The executive board includes computer science majors Harshita Kalbhor (B.S. '26, computer science) and Amy Naylor (B.S. '28, computer science), who serve as president and vice president, respectively, and Kendra Warmuth, a computer engineering major who leads the electrical team for Terraformers, the student-built Mars rover. In addition, computer science major Grace Cai (B.S. '27, computer science; B.S. '27, physics)  serves as the computer vision lead in an officer role.

Kalbhor shared she was surprised to learn that women had never held leadership positions on R@M’s executive board.

“It was kind of surprising to me that in our large history, we have not had women play an integral role in our executive board,” Kalbhor said. “So, to me, this was definitely a very big milestone.”

The new leadership makeup has already helped foster a more inclusive environment. Kalbhor believes that representation at the executive level plays a key role in encouraging participation among female members.

“They see role models in their executive board, and to me, that was very important,” she said.

R@M was founded to equip students with real-world engineering skills through hands-on work in design, fabrication, assembly and testing. But for many members, including Cai, involvement in the club has also sparked personal growth.

Cai joined the club in the spring of 2024 with no prior robotics experience. Seeing the work of passionate peers inspired her to take a leap.

 “It was something I wanted to do in high school but didn’t really have time for,” Cai shared. “I saw how all the different robots worked at R@M and really wanted to get involved.”

She eventually joined the computer vision team and now leads work on integrating fisheye cameras for navigation and visual processing. Without formal coursework in computer vision, Cai said she relied on self-directed learning and mentorship from more experienced members.

That culture of peer learning has been instrumental in helping new members succeed. Kalbhor said she has noticed that more women are now participating actively on teams, especially in software. She attributes that to the sense of community created when women feel welcomed and supported.

“Our role on the team has helped retain a lot more female members,” she said. “I noticed there were a lot more girls on the software team this year. I feel like it just creates a more welcoming atmosphere.”

Cai agrees that technical work and community building go hand in hand. She’s made it a point to get to know newer members personally and offer support beyond official meetings.

“I’m trying not to be just the vision lead but also a friend—just trying to get to know them more,” Cai said. “I actually got dinner with one of our new members, and it was really nice to get to know her.”

The impact of these efforts was especially visible during R@M’s most recent RoboSub competition, where both Kalbhor and Cai were among just three women who attended. Kalbhor said the opportunity to compete strengthened her connection to the club.

“It is definitely difficult having to dedicate this much time to a club, especially if you don’t feel welcome,” she said. “So giving us the opportunity to go to competition was really helpful.”

Looking ahead, the leadership hopes to create a more substantial structure that continues to support student initiative and learning—even beyond graduation. They believe reducing information gatekeeping and building long-term community are essential to the club’s future.

Cai urged students not to let uncertainty hold them back.

“There’s a lot of things that I don’t know and a lot of things I need to learn, but I’m willing to put in the time and effort to do so,” Cai shared. “My advice to young women would be to take that step, that leap of faith, and just ask questions because you never know what you could learn and how far you could go.”

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications