Dr. Eric Schwartz is Master Lecturer in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Florida, as well as the Director of the Machine Intelligence Laboratory (MIL, www.mil.ufl.edu). 

Dr. Schwartz, with degrees in both Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, is particularly qualified for work in robotics.  His early research in the mathematics and control of robotic manipulators and his more recent work with Autonomous Mobile Agents is a testament to his wide ranging capabilities.  In the past 20 years, as a faculty member in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at UF, Dr. Schwartz has taught a wide range of ECE courses including Introduction to Engineering, ECE Adventures, Circuits 1, Circuits 2, Digital Logic & Computer Systems, Digital Design, Microprocessor Applications, Senior Design (ECE Design 2), Intelligent Machines Design Laboratory, and Kinematics and Dynamics of Robot Manipulators.  As a graduate student, he also taught or assisted in teaching a robotics course in Italy and two mechanical engineering courses: Machine Analysis and Design 1 and Dynamics.  Dr. Schwartz has been employed by Allen-Bradley Corporation, IBM, Bendix Avionics and Universal Security Instruments.  Dr. Schwartz also worked at the Electronic Communications Laboratory ECL at the University of Florida from 1989-1995. 

Dr. Schwartz was honored by UF’s College of Engineering as its 2002-2003 Teacher of the Year “in recognition of outstanding achievement as an educator, role model and mentor to students.” He was also awarded the 2002-2003 Teacher of the Year for the entire university “for demonstrated excellence, innovation and effectiveness in teaching.”  He also earned UF’s IEEE and HKN Teacher of the Year award for 2012-2013.

Dr. Schwartz has been the faculty advisor for the student branch of the IEEE at UF since 2001 (and the treasurer of the Gainesville section of IEEE since 2002).  He has also advised several hundred senior design students and has organized a multitude of annual team projects including the IEEE SouthEastCon Hardware Design teams (since 2002), three ION Robotic Lawn Mower Competition teams (2010-2012), each International RoboSub Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition teams since 1998, and three International RoboBoat Autonomous (Surface) Water Vehicle Competition teams in 2013-2015.  Three of his robot submarine (SubjuGator, www.SubjuGator.org) teams (in 2005-2007) won first place in this international competition, and eleven of his eighteen teams placed third or better. His students have also won one IEEE SouthEastCon Hardware competition and earned second one other time.  In 2008, two of his MIL students won the IEEE SouthEastCon undergraduate research paper competition with their work on swarm robots.  In 2011, his lawnmower team won the static division championship.  In 2013, Dr. Schwartz’s robot boat (PropaGator, www.PropaGator.org) team won first place in their first international competition and earned 2^nd place in 2014.  Dr. Schwartz’s teams are composed primarily of electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering students, from freshmen to PhD candidates.