Nyomi Morris is far from a lone wolf, and her leadership in Rose-Hulman's WOLFPAC student group as an undergraduate is a strong metaphor for her life. It helped ignite her passion for working on technology to support human needs, including survivors of domestic violence. 

The Maple Heights, Ohio, native graduated from Rose-Hulman in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and immediately began pursuing a PhD in computer science at Colorado School of Mines. As a senior at Rose, Morris revitalized the Women of Like Professions Passionate About Computing (WOLFPAC) organization. WOLFPAC membership had waned during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Morris, who had been involved during her first year at Rose-Hulman, saw the importance of the connections that organization provided.

Morris also built a pack for herself at Rose through her myriad of student organizations, learning from others as much as she mentored them. She was the academic excellence chair of the National Society of Black Engineers chapter and was a mentor for international students. She also organized the campus' graduate school support group, was captain of the Mars rover robotics team's software development unit, and was a classroom leader for the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering's Connecting with Code educational outreach program. Morris was also a Noblitt Scholar. 

"Those mentorships happened because there was an openness that allowed me to do so," Morris said. "That open-door feeling is everywhere, and that really helps someone who just wants to try something or wants to ask a question." 

Her exceptional leadership and academic abilities led to her receiving the Herman A. Moench Distinguished Senior Commendation at the 2024 Commencement ceremony for her influence on the Rose-Hulman community.

Morris also created a pack of influential faculty mentors for herself, building strong relationships across campus, including with her academic advisor Michael Wollowski, PhD, professor of computer science and software engineering.

"Dr. Wollowski is one of my biggest fans," Morris laughed. "He pointed me toward opportunities, he really gave me a lot of encouragement, and he took an interest in my interests." 

In fact, it was Wollowski who helped Morris navigate the forest of career opportunities available to her and guided her toward research. She took an introductory research course with him, changing her path for her future.

"I wouldn't have tried research without him mentioning that it was an option for me," she said.

Morris completed two Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) during her summers at Rose, including one at University of Minnesota's Interactive Robotic Vision Lab. It was her first experience observing a human-robot interaction study, knowledge that she was able to apply when she designed a human-robot interaction experiment during her second REU at Carnegie Mellon University.  

Morris utilized these skills in designing and completing her senior thesis, building a pack for people in the community. Morris worked closely with her thesis advisor Ben Jelen, PhD, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering, to explore how robot companions could support people processing trauma. 

"Nyomi excelled in her senior thesis at identifying a topic she cared about, where she would make a difference in the world," said Jelen. "She went above and beyond during [research participant] recruitment by building rapport with a local domestic abuse survivor shelter. From there, she waded into the unknown waters of research, finding answers to questions that no one knows, ultimately identifying how researchers could use robots to support survivors sharing their abuse stories." 

Morris deliberately adopted an interdisciplinary approach to her research design, connecting with Terre Haute's Council on Domestic Abuse (CODA) through Caroline Carvill, PhD, professor of American literature, who has worked with the organization for several years. 

"What I learned in my [Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts] classes is also really informative in my research, especially with doing qualitative analysis and seeing things for more than what they are numerically," Morris said. "Those are as important to the success I've found so far as the technical classes. It is human-robot interaction." 

Morris tackled the qualitative research for her thesis in three iterative phases, co-designed with her research participants. She first asked participants to share their experiences talking about their stories, including the benefits and drawbacks of disclosing domestic abuse. Morris then analyzed that data, and, when she gathered participants for the second session, asked them to imagine what a robot buddy could do to support them through the process, role playing different scenarios. She asked them in the third and final session to design, build, and present a robot prototype with Play-Doh and other art materials.

Morris shared that she learned through CODA how many societal problems are intersected with the problem of domestic abuse. 

"People who have been through domestic abuse [can] have a really fraught relationship with technology,” she said. “What if it's possible that we can flip the narrative and make technology that is safer and useful so there's not an antagonistic relationship?"

Morris was selected to present this research in Melbourne, Australia, in March, at HRI, one of the premier international conferences on human-robot interaction, and hopes to present it to CODA as well.

"I really hope that the research I'm doing is doing right by (the research participants)," Morris said. "That's really more important to me than getting a publication."

Morris is also expanding on her thesis as a foundation for her graduate work at Colorado School of Mines, welcoming even more people to her pack. She is working with a shelter in Denver to prototype and develop a robot based on the designs the research participants created 

To her surprise and relief, the transition to her PhD program has not been as difficult as she anticipated. 

"I'm really prepared for grad school," Morris said. "Graduating from Rose-Hulman is such an accomplishment that you really believe in your abilities. I know I can overcome challenges."

She continued, "I think that's the really great thing about Rose. You become a very thoughtful, very detail-oriented engineer, and you're really good at what you do."

Much like a wolf, Morris has traveled great distances, both physically and intellectually, since she began her Rose-Hulman journey a little over four years ago, but she didn't do it alone. Both at Rose-Hulman and at Colorado School of Mines, Morris recognizes the interconnected nature of the people she meets. She has built a community dedicated to supporting her and those around her because, after all, it takes a WOLFPAC to succeed.