Principal Investigator
Dr. Amit Jariwala
Dr. Amit Jariwala supports experiential, entrepreneurial, and innovative learning experiences within the school’s academic curriculum. He is a Woodruff School Teaching Fellow and directs the operations of the Institute-wide Georgia Tech Capstone Design Expo. He serves as the faculty advisor for Georgia Tech’s Flowers Invention Studio. Dr. Jariwala’s research interests include makerspaces, evidence-based design education, and advanced additive manufacturing processes. He leads the MATRIX Makerspaces VIP team, focusing on research and development to enable the creation of intelligent systems that manage and maintain makerspaces.
UG Mentor
Rahul Gupta
Rahul, a 3rd-year Mechanical Engineering student, leads MATRIX Lab’s makerspaces research, previously developing a low-cost sensor suite for machine analytics with a focus on usage, anomaly detection, and predictive maintenance. He uses Python for data analysis and has experience in design, prototyping, CAD, hands-on fabrication, and CNC machining. He’s also working with the College of Engineering to improve makerspace accessibility. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rah-gupta/
Graduate Students
Derek Coffsky
Derek is a BS/MS student in Mechanical Engineering. He is a Prototyping Instructor in the Invention Studio since Spring 2022 and is a wood room master. He has always been interested in design and additive manufacturing, and leads the IPD-RP sub-team.
Undergraduate Students
Ahmed Barakat
Ahmed Barakat is a senior Mechanical Engineering student at Georgia Tech passionate about advanced manufacturing and design. At the MATRIX Lab, he explores integrating additive and subtractive manufacturing for faster and more efficient prototypes through the IPD-RP team.
Cole Gensheimer
I am an undergraduate computer science major here at GT with experience as a full stack developer. I grew up in Savannah Georgia. I enjoy riding, racing, soccer, meeting new people and exploring new technologies. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-gensheimer/
Austin Chen
Computer Science student at Georgia Tech with a strong passion for theoretical CS and AI/ML development. Dedicated to expanding my technical skills through hands-on projects and real-world applications. Hobbies and interests include rock climbing (bouldering), cafe hopping, food crawls, film, and fashion.
Diego Carranza
A Mechanical Engineering major, Diego initiated and led a project on PPE detection using Computer Vision, independently developing his skills in AI and hardware integration. He also serves as a Full Prototyping Instructor in the Invention Studio and is a member of the GT Baja Off-Road team.
Austin Chan
Austin Chan is a 3rd year CS major with intelligence/security threads who enjoys creating robust, efficient software with applicable uses. He intersects his work with his passions in puzzle solving, basketball, and music.
Cyrus Chu
2nd year Industrial Engineering student at Georgia Tech, with interests in Data Science and AI. He is passionate about leveraging technology to solve real-world problems and looks forward to contributing to impactful projects. He enjoys basketball and pickleball.
Yayan Deng
Yayan is a 3rd year Computer Science major with a focus on Intelligence and Modeling/Simulation. She has experience in web development as well as taking on various personal projects that combine LLMs and data analysis. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, painting, and playing piano.
Esther Park
Esther Park is a junior majoring in Computer Science with threads in cybersecurity and intelligence. She is part of a team developing a dashboard for the campus makerspaces, enhancing user experience and improving data management within these creative environments.
Rachel Feng
Rachel is a mechanical engineering and computer science student with interests in robotics, aerospace, and artificial intelligence.
Divyasree Jeyakumar
A 2nd year Business Administration Major with a concentration in ITM and a minor in Computational Data Analysis. On campus, she is involved in the Supply Chain and Logistics Organization and the Undergraduate Business Analytics Club. In her free time she loves to play pickleball, read or bake something new.
Preyas Joshi
Preyas is a 3rd year CS major with a focus in intelligence and info/internetwork. He is also a PI at the HIVE makerspace at GT where he works with end users on a regular basis. He hopes that his work in this VIP will help improve the experience of using a makerspace for end users and PIs, both current and future.
Ivan Mukhin
I’m a 4th year Computer Science student with interests in Data Science and AI. I’ve been working on improving my coding skills through side projects and am super excited to work with this semester’s team!
Rishi Narendran
Rishi is a 2nd year Computer Engineering major concentrating in Signal/Information Processing and Cybersecurity. He’s currently working on the Machine Vision for PPE Detection team to create an ML model that detects safety goggles.
James Pope
James is pursuing an undergraduate ME degree at Georgia Tech and supports a variety of exploratory endeavors. He enjoys pushing the limits of 3D printing and exploring mechanical design solutions. Outside of the institute, he has interned for PACCAR and Bank of America and academically collaborated with organizations including TSMC.
Vineel Panyala
Vineel is a 3rd-Year Business – ITM major, minoring in Computing & Intelligence. He leads the AI PI team, leveraging his experience in AI software development and technical product management. On campus, he’s involved with Product@GT and 180 Degrees Consulting. He’s ambitious about leveraging emerging technologies to make an impact.
Riya Shinde
I am pursuing Computer Engineering along with a double minor in Industrial Design and Spanish. I am eager to collaborate with MATRIX to apply engineering skills to find real-world applications. You can usually find me playing lacrosse at practices or lost in a good book.
William Chin
William Chin is a senior computer science student with focuses in systems architecture and intelligence. As part of a research team, he helps develop computer vision solutions that improve safety monitoring and ensure PPE compliance within campus makerspaces.
Nabhan Sophie
Nabhan is an undergraduate researcher at Georgia Tech studying Computer Science. His work focuses on software development and cybersecurity, improving data dashboards, automating analysis pipelines, and building secure, scalable tools that enhance research and user experience.
Veeral Thokchom
Vee is an undergraduate mathematics major here at Georgia Tech. He grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia. His research interests include data science and additive manufacturing. He has been involved in a project that uses parameters from 3D printers to maximize the tensile strength of printing materials. He mainly enjoys playing tennis, producing music, doing math competitions, and meeting new people.
James Vogt
James is a third year Computer Science student focusing on Systems, Architectures, and Devices. His research interests include robotics, the interaction of technology with physical objects, and the practical applications of machine learning. He is involved with projects that use computer vision to help makerspaces manage their inventory and track high-usage items. Outside of class, he enjoys playing the bass guitar, hiking, and mountain biking.
Interns
Vedant Mehta
Vedant is a senior in high school currently interning with the MATRIX Lab at Georgia Tech. His research interests include applied machine learning, data science, and digital signal processing. He has been involved in projects that leverage neural networks to enhance the safety and maintainability of makerspace tools. Outside of research, Vedant enjoys playing pickleball, curating music playlists, and solving Rubik’s cubes.