assistive technology

Congratulations – Alisha Bose receives Dennis Lang Award!

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We’re thrilled to share that Alisha Bose, an undergraduate in the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab, has been honored with the Dennis Lang Award from the University of Washington Disability Studies Program.

Alisha graduated with a degree in Human Centered Design & Engineering and a minor in Disability Studies, and this award recognizes her outstanding academic work and spirited commitment to the field. The Dennis Lang Award celebrates the legacy of Dennis Lang, a co-founder of the UW Disability Studies Program, whose dedication and service were instrumental in shaping the program and its community.

Alisha received a merit-based monetary award and was recognized at the Disability Studies convocation on June 5. She’ll be starting the Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) program at UC Berkeley this fall.

Congratulations, Alisha! Your work continues to inspire and advance the values of inclusion, equity, and excellence in disability studies.

Congratulations to Dr. Mia Hoffman – 2026 Graduate School Medal Recipient!

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Huge congratulations to Dr. Mia Hoffman, recipient of the University of Washington’s 2026 Graduate School Medal – awarded to doctoral graduates whose research and civic engagement drive real social change.

Mia’s dissertation grew out of a simple question: how could a toddler with cerebral palsy play alongside her sibling? That question led to the Switch Kit, a low-cost, customizable system that helps children with motor disabilities engage in play, co-designed with families, clinicians, and speech-language pathologists. Her leadership of HuskyADAPT helped bring adapted toys to families across Washington State.

Mia earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, co-advised by our own Dr. Kat Steele and Dr. Heather Feldner, and was also named to this year’s Husky 100. She’s headed to Ohio State for a postdoctoral fellowship, and eventually hopes to launch her own lab focused on mobility, accessibility, and play.

Congratulations, Dr. Hoffman – we can’t wait to see what’s next!

Read the full feature from the UW Graduate School.

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Introducing Dr. Mia Hoffman!

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Congratulations to Dr. Mia Hoffman on earning a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering!

Dr. Hoffman’s PhD dissertation was titled “Pathways to self‑initiated mobility: Adoption and use of mobility aids by young children with developmental disabilities.” Her work advanced understanding of how early mobility supports can promote exploration, participation, and development for children with disabilities.

Congratulations and best of luck as Mia moves forward as a President’s Postdoctoral Scholar at The Ohio State University, working with Dr. Jill Heathcock in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in the College of Medicine!

Congrats to Mia Hoffman, Named to the Husky 100

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We were excited to celebrate Mia Hoffman, who was named to the University of Washington Husky 100, recognizing students who made an exceptional impact during their time at UW.

Mia was honored for work focused on accessibility, mobility, and play for children with disabilities, combining impactful research with community‑engaged advocacy. As a member of the Neuromechanics & Mobility community, Mia exemplified leadership, innovation, and a commitment to inclusive design.

Congratulations, Mia, on this well‑deserved recognition!

  • Studio portrait shows Mia Hoffman standing in a black blazer and blue dress against a gold gradient background; the Husky 100 logo is visible at the bottom of the image.
  • Person stands in a classroom in front of gold “100” balloons and purple balloons, posing for a photo to celebrate Husky 100 recognition.
  • Five people stand together in a conference room, smiling for a group photo in front of gold “100” balloons and purple balloons, celebrating Husky 100 recognition.

Lab Alumni Spotlight: Sasha Portnova!

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We were so excited to welcome Dr. Alexandra (Sasha) Portnova back to the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab last month! Sasha completed her undergraduate degree at UW and was the very first undergraduate member of our lab. After graduating, she headed to Northwestern to complete her PhD, then returned to UW as a CREATE Post-Doc Fellow and Research Scientist Engineer in our group. Sasha’s research has focused on upper extremity and hand function, drawing on machine learning and human – computer interaction approaches to develop tools and insights that support users’ everyday movement and interaction needs. She also created a podcast “Gears of Progress“ for anyone interested to hear more about exciting research and innovations happening at the forefronts of rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology.

Since September, Sasha has been part of a research team at Meta, and we’re incredibly proud to see her bringing her expertise to impactful, interdisciplinary work. It was wonderful to catch up, hear about her new role, and reconnect with someone who helped shape the early days of the lab.

Thanks for visiting, Sasha – we’re always cheering you on!

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