Samira is a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Iowa. She got her B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering by the major of Industrial Safety at Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran, Iran, and graduated in Fall 2019 from Kharazmi University of Tehran, Iran with an M.S.c in Mechanical Engineering. Her research has been focused on hand gesture recognition and classification using electromyography and acceleration sensors.  ​

Oluwaferanmi Badejo is a former undergraduate student who studied Mechanical Engineering. He is from Shoreview, MN but was born in Nigeria. Feramni is in the U2G program and plans on getting his Master's in Mechanical Engineering. His interest includes basketball and soccer as well as coding, and career goals are to work in the design field of Mechanical Engineering after finishing his Masters. His work in the RAD lab as an undergraduate assistant involved working with facemasks and EMG sensors to see what effect facemasks have on facial muscles. ​

Katie is a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, and she graduated with a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering in May 2023. She is interested in musculoskeletal biomechanics and medical device design, with plans to pursue a career in research and development. Her work in the RAD lab focuses on the measurement of mechanical properties of ankle-foot orthoses. Outside of school, Katie enjoys running and going to concerts.

George Elias graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering with an interest in biomechanics. His work in the RAD lab involved designing a powered ankle foot orthosis that employs twisted and coiled artificial muscles as novel actuators for the AFO. Outside of school, he enjoys golfing and tennis.

Dr. Deema Totah is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Iowa, and director of the Robotics and Assistive Devices Laboratory (RAD Lab). Dr. Totah’s research interests lie in improving the efficacy of assistive devices for customized patient care through experimental, musculoskeletal biomechanics research. She is passionate about building robotic and mechatronic systems with integrated wearable sensing to test assistive device properties, study human movement and behavior, and understand how humans and devices interact with each other.  Prior to joining UI in 2021, Dr. Totah completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan’s School of Kinesiology. Dr. Totah received her Ph.D. in 2020 and M.S.E. in 2014, both in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Michigan. She received a B.S. from the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT in 2012.

Zachary Williston graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus in kinematics and dynamics. From a mechanical design standpoint, he is interested in anything with at least two wheels, and is pursuing a career in research and development. His work in the RAD lab focuseed on a multi-planar AFO Testing device. Additionally, he was involved in sports clubs, including the Triathlon and Cycling.

Xandra is a PhD student in the department of mechanical engineering through the GLEAM fellowship from the University of Iowa. She graduated with a BSE in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa in 2025. Her current work in the RAD Lab is improving and testing the Powered AFO. She enjoys music and playing video games in her free time.

Wilensky Coleau is an undergraduate student studying Electrical Engineering at Stony Brook University (SBU) , NY. He was part of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Iowa where he worked on creating the first-generation prototype of the wrist-hand exoskeleton at the RAD lab. Additionally, he is part of the E-board of National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) at SBU and is interested in weightlifting and volleyball. Being part of the REU program has influenced him to potentially pursue a Ph. D. in the future after graduation. 

Ian will complete a duel B.S. degree in mechanical and electrical engineering in the Fall of 2023. At the RAD Lab, he worked on revamping and designing a new clamping mechanism for an AFO stiffness measurement apparatus. After graduation, he would like to pursue a career as a design engineer in the medical or aerospace field. Outside of school, he enjoy playing tennis and building rockets.

Rose is a graphic design BFA student at the university working in the department of Mechanical Engineering where she assists Professor Totah in matters of design, marketing, and management. In her free time she loves to spend time with family and friends, read, and watch Formula 1 racing.

Marissa graduated with a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering. She got her BSE in Biomedical Engineering with a focus in Biomaterials and Biomechanics from the University of Iowa in May 2023. She is currently pursuing a career in the medical device industry. Her research was focused on controlling the actuation of artificial muscles to vary the stiffness of a powered ankle-foot orthosis. Outside of school, Marissa enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and traveling.

Braeden graduated with a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. He is interested in musculoskeletal biomechanics and coding. His focus in RAD was developing a new innovative powered AFO. For Fun, Braeden loves playing Spikeball, pickleball, and Magic the Gathering. In addition, he is always trying to make new things in the kitchen (#1 dish Bulgogi Beef Tacos).

Nitin Nagarkar graduated and was studying Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Iowa. He is passionate about research, robotics, and programming, having worked on various projects throughout his undergraduate studies. At the RAD Lab, Nitin focused on developing a multi-planar AFO testing device.

Jinann Abudagga was a high school senior at West High in Iowa City, where she is a member of both the swim and robotics teams. She also served on the Student Leadership Board of Iowa FIRST Robotics, where she represented the FIRST Tech Challenge Iowa at the World Robotics Competition in 2024. Jinann spent time developing Dance Robots with Dr. Totah and the Robotics & Assistive Devices Lab during summer 2025, which were displayed on stage. She is currently attending Purdue University for engineering.