Doctoral Student Receives Meta Ph.D. Fellowship

Armisha RobertsArmisha Roberts, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering, was recently named a recipient of the Meta Ph.D. Fellowship. Roberts is one of the 37 selected for the 2022 fellowship, and she is the only recipient from the state of Florida.

“Receiving this fellowship is a blessing,” she said. “I can feel a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders now that I am able to dedicate more time to advancing my research.”

Roberts is a graduate research assistant in the SoundPad (Perception, Application, and Development) lab. Her research interests include 3D audio, artificial intelligence, learning technologies, math education, and Human-Centered Computing (HCC). She is under the advisement of Kyla McMullen, Ph.D., an assistant professor.

Her research focuses on understanding how users detect change within a 3D auditory environment. The application area for this research is auditory guidance for first responders to physical targets. The majority of perceptual 3D audio research focuses on localizing stationary sounds. This research advances knowledge on moving 3D sound perception, especially in ambulatory listening scenarios.

“The next steps for me in my research are to conduct a series of experiments to understand the critical sonic components for change detection within the 3D audio space,” Roberts said. “Through understanding what cues are necessary to manipulate for the most favorable results, this will allow my work to be used in real-world settings.”

The Fellowship is a global program designed to encourage and support promising doctoral students who are engaged in innovative and relevant research in areas related to computer science and engineering at an accredited university.

Winners of the Fellowship are entitled to receive two years of paid tuition and fees, a $42,000 annual stipend to cover living and conference travel costs, a paid visit to Meta (formerly Facebook) headquarters for the annual Fellowship Summit, and various opportunities to engage with Meta researchers.

“With this assistance, I am now able to dedicate my time to advancing my research and completing my Ph.D. program,” Roberts said. “I am also looking forward to the relationships I will be able to foster during the annual Meta Ph.D. Fellowship Summit with current Meta researchers and other Ph.D. students as well.”

Roberts received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in computer science from Howard University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She earned her master’s degree in computer science from the University of Florida.  She is a Gates Millennium Scholar, Buick National Achiever recipient, GEM Fellow, and a UF Graduate Student Fellowship recipient. Roberts has interned with Sandia National Laboratories, Booz Allen Hamilton, IBM, and BP broadening her experience and exposure to industry-based research.


Allison Logan
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering