The DARPA Risers program selects from early-career researchers that are identified by the agency as up-and-coming standouts in their fields, capable of discovering and leveraging innovative opportunities for technological surprise. The initial selection process was performed by DARPA program managers in response to a call for short white papers.

In total, DARPA Risers consisted of 50 individuals from diverse fields to compete for three spots that would present at D60. Among those 50 were Lee and School of Interactive Computing Assistant Professor Matthew Gombolay. The selection process began with a judged poster session, reducing the pool to 10 finalists, and a five-minute talk, which selected the final three.

Lee presented his team’s work on EmbodiedQA, generally talking about the potential of training embodied agents in simulated environments.

“The legacy of DARPA is one of transformative scientific and societal contribution,” Lee said. “From the foundations of the modern internet to the network of satellites enabling global positioning systems, our daily lives are shaped by the lasting impact of DARPA’s willingness to pursue uncertain but revolutionary technological possibilities. It was a great honor to be a part of the celebration of the organizations 60^th anniversary and have the opportunity to represent the 2018 Riser cohort during the plenary session.”

Read more about Lee’s research here, and view a video of his presentation at D60 here.