Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Andrea S. Gomoll’s research sits at the vital intersection of STEM education, human-centered design, and equity, with a particular focus on engaging girls and underrepresented groups in robotics and problem-based learning. Her most influential work, “Dragons, Ladybugs, and Softballs: Girls’ STEM Engagement with Human-Centered Robotics” (73 citations), demonstrates how reframing robotics around empathy and social contexts can spark deep, sustained interest among young women. Gomoll further explores this theme in “Designing human-centered robots: The role of constructive failure” (45 citations), where she argues that embracing productive struggle is essential for authentic learning and innovation. Her studies, such as “Between the Social and the Technical” (22 citations), reveal how middle school students navigate the tensions between social dynamics and technical challenges in collaborative design. Gomoll’s work on discourse and deep learning (14 citations) underscores the importance of co-constructing shared understanding in complex learning environments. By championing human-centered robotics and co-design approaches, she has provided educators with powerful frameworks to make STEM more inclusive, meaningful, and resilient—showing that the most impactful engineering begins with understanding people.