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/evannsmc |
| 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
Doctoral Minor in Optimization Methods
- 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 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, L. Chung, S. Kousik and S. Coogan, “RTD-RAX: Fast, Safe Trajectory Planning for Systems under Unknown Disturbances.” Joint Submission to 2026 Modeling, Estimation and Control Conference (MECC) and ASME Letters in Dynamic Systems and Control (ALDSC). (under revision) preprint available.
- 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, 2026. (under revision) preprint available.
- L. Baird, E. Morales-Cuadrado, and S. Coogan, “Runtime Assurance for Uncertain Systems from Interval Signal Temporal Logic.” Submitted to IFAC Nonlinear Analysis: Hybrid Systems (NAHS), 2025. (under revision) preprint available.
- E. Morales-Cuadrado, C. Llanes, Y. Wardi and S. Coogan, “Newton-Raphson Flow for Aggressive Quadrotor Tracking Control.” 2024 American Control Conference (ACC)
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 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 Circuits I
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 |