CV — Evanns Morales-Cuadrado
Evanns Morales-Cuadrado | Robotics PhD Student | Georgia Institute of Technology · U.S. Citizen
| evannsmc [at] gmail [dot] com | |
| Research Website | https://www.evannsmc.com/ |
| Github | https://github.com/evannsm |
| https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanns-morales/ |
Technical Skills
- Programming Languages: Python, C/C++, Matlab/Simulink
- Frameworks & Libraries: JAX, PyTorch, acados, CasADi, ROS 2, PX4, ArduPilot
- Development & DevOps Tools: Docker, Continuous Integration, Git/GitHub
- Hardware & Experimentation: UAV assembly, repair, and deployment
- Motion-Capture: OptiTrack and Vicon
- Languages: Spanish (Native), English (Native)
Education
Georgia Institute of Technology | 2022-2027
Ph.D. in Robotics
- GPA: 4.0/4.0
- Advisor: Dr. Samuel Coogan
- Goizueta Fellow
University of Texas at Arlington | 2018-2022
Honors Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
Minor in Mathematics
Minor in Physics
Certificate in Unmanned Vehicle Systems
- GPA: 3.9/4.0 Summa Cum laude
- Full National Merit Scholarship Awarded
- Electrical Engineering Honors Scholar
Work Experience
Graduate Research Assistant — FACTS Lab, Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA
August 2022 - Present
- Advised by Dr. Samuel Coogan
- Implemented novel aggressive tracking control methods on quadrotor hardware
- Developed novel nonlinear control methods for safe autonomy
- Published and presented novel research at top conferences and journals in the fields of robotics and control theory
Teaching Assistant — Vertically Integrated Project in Robotics, Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA
January 2024 - Present
- Aided professor in his instruction of this research-based course
- Provided promising undergraduates with guidance performing applied research in the field of robotics
- Taught control theoretical concepts in an accessible manner for undergraduates
Research Assistant — Autonomous Systems Lab, University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX
November 2021 - May 2022
- Advised by Dr. Frank Lewis
- Received personal mentorship from a leading researcher in the field of controls and reinforcement learning (ranked 12th in the USA and 23rd in the world during my time in his lab)
- Aided graduate students on reinforcement learning research applied to quadrotor control
Teaching Assistant — Graduate-Level Intelligent Systems Course, University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX
January 2022 - May 2022
- Aided professor in his instruction of the course
- Hosted review sessions for students in preparation for exams
- Gained teaching experience in a graduate-level course while still an undergraduate
Research Assistant — Dynamical Networks and Control Lab, University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX
October 2019 - May 2022
- Advised by Dr. Yan Wan
- Gained experience with Robot Operating System (ROS), OpenCV, and path planning
- Original research in learning-based minimum time and energy path-planning for multi-vehicle systems
Selected Publications
- E. Morales-Cuadrado, C. Llanes, Y. Wardi and S. Coogan, “Newton-Raphson Flow for Aggressive Quadrotor Tracking Control.” 2024 American Control Conference (ACC)
- L. Baird, E. Morales-Cuadrado, and S. Coogan, “Runtime Assurance for Uncertain Systems from Interval Signal Temporal Logic.” Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Robotics. (under revision)
- E. Morales-Cuadrado, L. Baird, Y. Wardi and S. Coogan, “Lightweight Tracking Control for Computationally Constrained Aerial Systems with the Newton-Raphson Method.” Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology. arXiv preprint available. (under revision)
Research Interests
- Safe Autonomy
- Hardware Deployment
- Unmanned Ground and Aerial Vehicles
- Advanced Nonlinear Control
- Learning-Based Control
- Trajectory Generation and Planning
Open-Source Contributions
- PX4 Autopilot: Contributed documentation improvements to the official PX4 Autopilot manual.
- Vicon4PX4: Developed and open-sourced a ROS 2 C++ Vicon–PX4 interface enabling external vision fusion for indoor quadrotor flight experiments; adopted and showcased by Georgia Tech’s Indoor Flight Lab as part of its official codebase. Also created a parallel package for OptiTrack motion capture systems.
Service & Leadership
Co-Founder and President of Puerto Rican Student Association | Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA
August 2024 - Present
- Addressed the need for an organization to help Puerto Rican students feel at home and stay connected to our culture
- Formed a three-member co-founder board and identified a faculty advisor
- Raised funds for the organization and recruited members from campus
- Hosted professional, social, and cultural events to meet the needs of the growing Puerto Rican student population at Georgia Tech
Undergraduate Research Mentor | University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX
August 2021 - May 2022
- As the lead undergraduate student Dr. Frank Lewis’ Autonomous Systems Lab, I mentored junior undergrads in controls research and guided them on a research project in ground vehicle control
- Guided students in Robot Operating System, Python, Linux, and Control Systems
Teaching Assistant — Graduate-Level Intelligent Systems Course | University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX
January 2022 - May 2022
- Aided professor in his instruction of the course
- Hosted review sessions for students in preparation for exams
- Graded homeworks, exams, and projects
- Gained teaching experience in a graduate-level course while still an undergraduate
Eta Kappa Nu Public Relations Chair & Circuits I Tutor | University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX
August 2020 - May 2022
- Executive board member of UT Arlington’s IEEE-HKN chapter
- In charge of social media advertising for honor society’s events and outreach initiatives for the electrical engineering student body
- Volunteered to provide free tutoring as a service to electrical engineering students in the Circuits I course
Honors & Awards
| Award | Date |
|---|---|
| Top-3 Finalist at a Deep Learning Research Symposium | November 2023 |
| Goizueta Fellowship at Georgia Tech | August 2022 |
| Summa Cum Laude Honors at University of Texas at Arlington | May 2022 |
| Honors College Degree Requirements at University of Texas at Arlington | December 2021 |
| Electrical Engineering Honors Scholar at University of Texas at Arlington | December 2021 |
| IEEE-HKN International Electrical Engineering Honor Society Membership | August 2021 |
| Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellowship Recipient | August 2020 |
| Chance Vought Engineering and Science Endowment Scholarship | August 2020 |
| Toray Composite Materials America Inc. Sons and Daughters Scholarship | May 2019 |
| James E. Casey Scholarship Recipient | January 2019 |
| James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Recipient | May 2018 |
| Grapevine, TX Rotary Club Scholarship Recipient | May 2018 |
| National Hispanic Scholar | March 2018 |
| National Merit Scholar | March 2018 |