meet the team

    Leadership

    Dr. Scarlett Miller

    Director

    Dr. Scarlett Miller

    Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design and Manufacturing; Advanced Realty Investors Director, Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation; Founder & CEO, Medulate®; Director, britelab

    Dr. Miller is an interdisciplinary researcher focused in engineering design, cognition, robotics, and simulation technology. She is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

    Dr. Sanaz Motamedi

    Associate Director

    Dr. Sanaz Motamedi

    Assistant Research Professor, Industrial Engineering

    Dr. Motamedi is an interdisciplinary scholar focused on exploring inclusive design. Prior to joining Penn State, she was an assistant teaching professor at the University of Florida and a postdoctoral scholar at UC-Berkley.

    Dr. Aoran Peng

    Post-Doctoral Scholar

    Dr. Aoran Peng

    Dr. Peng is an interdisciplinary researcher focused at the intersection of emerging technology, human behavior, and design. She has extensive experience as both a researcher and an educator and believes that true innovation involves multi-disciplinary approaches to problem solving.

    Graduate Students

    Ms. Isra Elsaadany

    Ms. Isra Elsaadany

    PhD Student, Industrial Engineering

    ibe5049@psu.edu

    Why britelab?

    britelab gave me the opportunity to work on meaningful research with real-world impact, and helped me grow as an independent researcher.

    Ms. Yi Wu

    Ms. Yi Wu

    PhD Student, Industrial Engineering

    yqw5771@psu.edu

    Why britelab?

    My labmates are always happy to share ideas and lend a hand — having these people in my corner makes the journey so much more rewarding.

    Mr. Duk Hee Ka

    Mr. Duk Hee Ka

    PhD Student, Industrial Engineering

    dukhee.ka@psu.edu

    Ms. Yuyuan Cao

    Ms. Yuyuan Cao

    PhD Student, Industrial Engineering

    yfc5555@psu.edu

    Why britelab?

    britelab has given me many opportunities to explore new research ideas and develop new skills, while receiving great support and guidance from my advisor and labmates.

    Ms. Winnie Fang

    Ms. Winnie Fang

    PhD Student, Industrial Engineering

    winniefang@psu.edu

    Undergraduate Students

    Ms. Angelina Corridoni

    Ms. Angelina Corridoni

    Shuman Scholar, BS Student, Mechanical Engineering

    Mr. Brandon Leader

    Mr. Brandon Leader

    Schreyer Honors Scholar, BS Student, Mechanical Engineering

    Ms. Michele Kelly

    Ms. Michele Kelly

    Schreyer Honors Scholar, BS Student, Computer Science & Mathematics, Engineering Design

    Mr. Jordan Wolfe

    Mr. Jordan Wolfe

    Senior, BS Student, Industrial Engineering

    Why britelab?

    You can learn from real projects, take on meaningful responsibilities, and contribute not only to your team but to society.

    Alumni

    Doctoral Students

    Dr. Aseel Khanfar(2024)PhD Industrial Engineering, Asst. Professor at Yarmouk University
    Dr. Haroula Tzamaras(2024)PhD Industrial Engineering, Human Factors Engineer at CarliMed
    Dr. Jessica González Vargas(2023)PhD Industrial Engineering, Asst. Professor at Mississippi State University
    Dr. Aoran Peng(2023)PhD Industrial Engineering, Post-Doctoral Scholar at Penn State
    Dr. Courtney Cole(2022)PhD Industrial Engineering, Human Factors Engineer at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
    Dr. Mohammad Alzayed(2020)PhD Industrial Engineering, Assistant Professor Kuwait University
    Dr. Xuan Zheng(2019)PhD Industrial Engineering, Senior UX Researcher, Instacart
    Dr. Hong-En Chen(2019)PhD Industrial Engineering, Human-Performance Engineer, Exponent
    Dr. Elizabeth Starkey(2018)PhD Industrial Engineering, Associate Teaching Professor, Penn State
    Dr. Christine Toh(2016)PhD Industrial Engineering, Assoc. Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha
    Dr. Inki Kim(2015)PhD Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Research Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois

    Masters Students

    Ava Knaf(2025)MS Mechanical Engineering
    Marc Cai(2024)MS Engineering Design, Mechanical Designer at Legrand/Starline
    Divyaa Vivekanandan Gopalakrishnan(2023)MS Engineering Design
    Aoran Peng(2020)MS Engineering Design
    Kevin Kearney(2020)MS Engineering Design

    Honors Students

    Mahathi Mallina(2026)BS Industrial Engineering with Honors
    Sarah Mesler(2026)BS Industrial Engineering with Honors
    Joeseph Mast(2025)BS Industrial Engineering with Honors, Merck Manufacturing Leadership Development Program Associate
    Aayod Kaul(2025)Industrial Engineering with Honors
    Abby O'Connell(2022)BS/MS Industrial Engineering with Honors, Management Rotational Program Associate at Capital One
    Rachel Bartuska(2022)BS Industrial Engineering with Honors, Quality Engineer at Appian
    Ava Drum(2022)BS Industrial Engineering with Honors, Vehicle Operations Manufacturing Engineer at Ford

    Undergraduate Research Assistants

    Nick Letwin(2026)BS Human-Centered Design and Development

    Let's Start Something New

    Say Hello!