Carnegie Bosch Institute welcomes newest fellows for 2025

The Carnegie Bosch Institute (CBI) is excited to announce the addition of two exceptional postdoctoral researchers to its 2025 fellowship cohort: Kiyn Chin and Hanif Tayarani.

Kiyn Chin, hosted by Professor Carmel Majidi

Chin completed her Ph.D. in robotics at CMU’s Robotics Institute in September 2024.  Her dissertation, “Domesticating Soft Robotics Research and Development with Accessible Biomaterials,” explores using affordable and sustainable materials, such as food-grade, agricultural waste, and biomaterial composites, to reduce barriers in soft robotics development. In addition, her earlier research addressed the challenges of controlling soft robots with changing dynamics over time, developing frameworks for long-term operation and flexibility.

On her relationship with her host Carmel Majidi and the inspiration for her upcoming CBI collaboration with him, Chin wrote:

"My faculty host is Carmel Majidi, a professor in mechanical engineering at CMU. Our history of collaboration is extensive, as I earned my Ph.D. in robotics working in his Soft Machines Lab. Early on in my career, I focused on control and machine learning for soft robotic systems. I identified the nonstationary dynamics of soft materials as a major bottleneck in the creation of control policies for these systems, and pursued learning on hardware with data-efficient methods as a solution. As my Ph.D. progressed amidst the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns, and in my search for robotic hardware that was safe to build and operate in my home, I discovered the field of biodegradable materials and realized the potential applications to soft robotics. I discovered that accessible, consumer grade materials like gelatin and glucose could produce materials with performant and scientifically interesting properties. From that point, I focused on the development and characterization of these materials, leading to my creation of novel multifunctional biomaterials that outperformed existing biomaterials and are competitive with state-of-the-art synthetics."

Hanif Tayarani, hosted by Professor Jeremy Michalek

Tayarani earned his Ph.D. at the University of California, Davis, specializing in transportation technology and policy and power systems. His research focuses on electric vehicle (EV) integration and forecasting charging behavior—vital for understanding BEV (battery electric vehicle) charging patterns and enhancing grid sustainability.

Hanif laid out his plans for the fellowship in his application:

"My long-term goal is to establish a research institute that focuses on transportation electrification, power systems, and energy policy. I want to create a center where research, industry, and policy come together to develop practical solutions for sustainable power systems and transportation. This fellowship will help me build strong collaborations with experts at CMU, national labs, and policymakers, which is essential for shaping this vision. During this fellowship, I plan to create national and state-level policy tools, improve modeling techniques, and develop strategies for cost-effective vehicle-grid integration (VGI) deployment that can guide policymakers. This research is especially important now, as federal investment in sustainability is decreasing, and states need better tools to make decisions."

Fellowship Spotlight

The Carnegie Bosch Fellowships empower early-career researchers to tackle “grand challenge” problems through resources, mentorship, and the freedom to collaborate both within and beyond academia. Hosted within CMU’s world-class departments and supported by Bosch’s research network, fellows like Chin and  Tayarani gain access to unparalleled guidance and real-world impact opportunities.

Please join us in welcoming the new CBI fellows to the Carnegie Bosch Institute team. We look forward to watching their work unfold and seeing their influence across academia, industry, and society.