MOVE Center Launch Event

MOVE Center Launch

The MOVE Center at Kennesaw State University is dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research and innovation in rehabilitation and assistive technologies by bringing together faculty expertise across engineering, health sciences, computing, and related fields.

This event occurred Friday, September 19, 2025

Event Schedule

Time	Event	Location
8:00 a.m. — 8:50 a.m.	Registration and Breakfast	Lobby/Prillaman Hall HS1001
9:00 a.m. — 9:05 a.m.	Welcome Message Dr. Ayse Tekes	Prillaman Hall HS1105
9:05 a.m. — 9:10 a.m.	Welcome Message Dr. Karin Scarpinato, Executive Vice President for Research, KSU	Prillaman Hall HS1105
9:10 a.m. — 9:20 a.m.	Presentation Dr. Jacob Davis, Research Scientist, NIH; KSU alumnus	Prillaman Hall HS1105
9:20 a.m. — 9:50 a.m.	Plenary Speaker Dr. Elliott Rouse, University Of Michigan – Ann Arbor	Prillaman Hall HS1105
9:50 a.m. — 10:05 a.m.	Presentation Dr. Joe Nocera, Department of Veterans Affairs	Prillaman Hall HS1105
10:05 a.m. — 10:15 a.m.	Presentation Dr. Adrienne Hill, Program Director of the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics and Clinical Assistant Professor of Prosthetics and Orthotics	Prillaman Hall HS1105
10:15 a.m. — 10:30 a.m.	Break Coffee and light snacks	Prillaman Hall Hallway
10:30 a.m. — 11:30 a.m.	Panel Discussion Dr. Greg Sawicki Dr. Aaron Young Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu Elliott Rouse Mark Geil	Prillaman Hall HS1105
11:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.	Research Presentations KSU Faculty	Prillaman Hall HS1105
12:30 p.m. — 1:30 p.m.	Lunch/Poster session	The Commons/Prillaman Hall HS1001
1:35 p.m. — 1:55 p.m.	NIH Program Director Presentation Dr. Toyin Ajisafe	Prillaman Hall HS1105
1:55 p.m. — 2:20 p.m.	Keynote Speaker Dr. Gil Weinburg, Director, Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology	Prillaman Hall HS1105
2:20 p.m. — 2:35 p.m.	Break	Prillaman Hall HS1001
2:35 p.m. — 3:35 p.m.	Research Pitch Presentations	Prillaman Hall HS1105
3:35 p.m. — 4:05 p.m.	MathWorks Presentations Dr. Mehdi Vahab	Prillaman Hall HS1105
4:05 p.m. — 4:20 p.m.	Movella Presentation Jared Watt	Prillaman Hall HS1105
4:30 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.	MathWorks Demonstration – Prillaman Hall HS 1101 Movella Demonstration – Prillaman Hall HS 1103	Prillaman Hall HS1101
5:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.	Demo/Poster Session	Prillaman Hall HS1001
5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.	IEEE Competition Pizza will be served	Prillaman Hall HS1001

Speakers

Dr. Elliott Rouse

Plenary Speaker

Dr. Elliott Rouse is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the Robotics and Mechanical Engineering Departments at the University of Michigan, where he directs the Neurobionics Lab. The vision of his group is to discover the fundamental science that underlies human joint dynamics during locomotion and incorporate these discoveries in a new class of wearable robotic technologies. Dr. Rouse and his research have been featured at TED, on the Discovery Channel, CNN, National Public Radio, Wired Magazine UK, Business Insider, among others. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award in 2019.

Dr. Gil Weinberg

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Gil Weinberg is a professor and the founding director of Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology, where he leads the Robotic Musicianship group. His research focuses on developing artificial creativity and musical expression for robots and augmented humans. Weinberg presented his work worldwide in venues such as The Kennedy Center, The World Economic Forum, Ars Electronica, Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Museum, SIGGRAPH, TED-Ed, DLD and others. His music was performed with Orchestras such as Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the National Irish Symphony Orchestra, and the Scottish BBC Symphony while his research has been disseminated through numerous journal articles and patents. Dr. Weinberg received his MS and PhD degrees in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT and his BA from the interdisciplinary program for fostering excellence in Tel Aviv University.

Dr. Aaron Young

Panelist

Dr. Aaron Young is an Associate Professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Exoskeleton and Prosthetic Intelligent Controls (EPIC) Lab.

Dr. Gregory S. Sawicki

Panelist

Dr. Gregory S. Sawicki is the Interim Executive Director of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines and Professor and Joseph Anderer Faculty Fellow at Georgia Tech with appointments in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Biological Sciences.

Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu

Panelist

Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu currently serves as a Department Head, Professor, and Director of the BioAstLab at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His current research focuses on Biomechatronics Systems; EMG and EEG controlled Prosthesis/Orthosis and Wearable Rehabilitation Robotics.

Dr. Mark Geil

Panelist

Dr. Mark Geil is a Professor of Biomechanics in the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University. He helped create the world’s first entry-level MS degree program in Prosthetics and Orthotics while at Georgia Tech, which was later transferred to Kennesaw State. Dr. Geil is a Fulbright Senior Specialist awardee and winner of the Thranhardt and Research Awards from the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists.