image: Lydia Kavraki
Credit: Must credit Jeff Fitlow/Rice University.
HOUSTON – (April 30, 2025) – Lydia Kavraki, a leading researcher in robotics, computational biomedicine and artificial intelligence (AI) at Rice University, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the world’s foremost professional societies dedicated to honoring achievement in science and outstanding original research.
At Rice, Kavraki is the Kenneth and Audrey Kennedy Professor of Computing and holds appointments in the departments of computer science, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering and bioengineering. Since 2019, Kavraki has served as director of the Ken Kennedy Institute, which brings together more than 250 researchers from across the university to collaborate on transformative projects in AI, machine learning, data science, high-performance computing and emerging interdisciplinary areas of research.
Her election to NAS recognizes a career of pioneering interdisciplinary research and mentorship. Kavraki’s development of randomized algorithms for robot motion planning transformed how machines navigate complex environments, enabling advances in manufacturing, space exploration and robot-assisted medicine. In biomedicine, her computational methods have opened up new possibilities for understanding protein interactions, guiding cancer immunotherapy and accelerating drug discovery.
“We are at a pivotal moment where scientific progress, especially in AI and computing, is advancing at an extraordinary pace, reshaping how we interact and collaborate with machines, how we understand disease and how we plan for the future,” Kavraki said. “I am deeply grateful and humbled to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences. More than an occasion for gratitude and celebration, being elected reinforces my sense of responsibility to mentor and support the next generation of scientists, to guide innovation with care and to ensure that scientific practice remains anchored in human needs and values.”
Kavraki’s work bridges theory and application. Her work in robotics has provided novel ways to generate the motion of robots in uncertain environments, and it is especially relevant today as robots become highly articulated and complex. The Open Motion Planning Library developed by her lab has become a standard tool in robotics worldwide. Her biomedical algorithms, many encapsulated in the PROTEAN-CR platform, support personalized cancer treatments and drug discovery pipelines at institutions like the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research is funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, among others.
“Lydia’s election to the National Academy of Sciences reflects the extraordinary impact of her work across fields that are shaping the future,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches said. “Her achievements in robotics and biomedicine exemplify the spirit of interdisciplinary innovation that defines Rice.”
Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said Kavraki’s recognition highlights the university’s commitment to fostering research that crosses traditional boundaries.
“Lydia is not only a brilliant researcher but also a dedicated mentor who inspires her students to think broadly and act with purpose,” Dittmar said. “She has shown how science and technology, approached thoughtfully, can be powerful forces for good.”
Luay Nakhleh, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, praised Kavraki’s role in building Rice’s leadership in AI, robotics and biomedical engineering.
“Lydia has helped define entire fields and has contributed to a culture of excellence and responsibility that will endure for generations,” Nakhleh said.
Kavraki is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her honors include recognition as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for the Advancement of AI and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. She has published over 400 papers and mentored more than 40 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom lead major academic and industry efforts.
Kavraki is among 120 new U.S. members and 30 international electees to join the organization, which was established in 1863 under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln. With Kavraki’s induction, Rice counts 11 living NAS members among its faculty and 17 overall. Kavraki is the first among Rice faculty to be elected to NAM, NAS, NAE and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The list of all 2025 elected members can be viewed on the NAS website.
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About Rice:
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering and computing, humanities, music, natural sciences and social sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. Internationally, the university maintains the Rice Global Paris Center, a hub for innovative collaboration, research and inspired teaching located in the heart of Paris. With 4,776 undergraduates and 4,104 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 7 for best-run colleges by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by the Wall Street Journal and is included on Forbes’ exclusive list of “New Ivies.”