Corinna Lathan

Dr. Corinna Lathan

Board Chair and CEO, AnthroTronix, Inc.

Board Chair and CEO| AnthroTronix, Inc.

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What I Do

AnthroTronix is a human factors and biomedical engineering research company. Our focus is to empower people to accomplish their goals using technology - from computer access devices for children with disabilities to robot controllers for soldiers. I'm also an author and wrote a book, Inventing the Future, Stories from a Techno-Optimist.
Why Engineering?

I chose engineering because I thought technology was cool - especially robotics and virtual reality! I was also very interested in "technology transfer" or how high tech developed for space and military applications could be used for medical applications.
School Days

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biopsychology and Mathematics from Swarthmore College, and a Master's Degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I also attended the International Space University in Japan and am a Licensed Professional Engineer.
Best Part

As an engineering research company, we get to work on many types of design problems. I work with a team of mechanical, software, and biomedical engineers developing robotic and computer-based technology to solve problems in the medical rehabilitation, defense, and education research areas.
Proud Moments

Prior to starting AnthroTronix, I was a professor of biomedical engineering and worked closely with the National Rehabilitation Hospital. I was taken aback at the lack of technology for children with disabilities. To meet that need I founded a subsidiary company to AnthroTronix called AT KidSystems which created Cosmo’s Learning Systems™ – an alternative computer interface and educational software for children with disabilities.

More recently I was honored to be chosen as one of 120 contemporary women in STEM to be a STEM ambassador. Statues were made of us and have been on exhibit at the Smithsonian!
My Family

I enjoy spending time with my husband and children. We enjoy camping, hiking, and traveling and spending time at home with our 2 dogs and 3 cats! We are also involved in the Interracial Family Circle – a support network for interracial families.
Inspiration

Many people over the years who encouraged me to be proud of standing out and being different. As a woman in engineering, you have to be comfortable with both of these things!
Want to be an Engineer?

Don't worry about what you want to BE - pursue your interests and find cool things to DO!

Dr. Corinna Lathan co-founded AnthroTronix in 1999 and is currently Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Lathan's diverse background includes extensive research, teaching, and consulting in the areas of human performance engineering, medical device design, and assistive technology. Previously, Dr. Lathan was an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at The Catholic University of America (CUA) and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Lathan is also Founder of AT KidSystems, a spinoff of ATinc, which distributes alternative computer interfaces and educational software. Her work with children with disabilities and robotics has been featured in Forbes, Time, and the New Yorker magazines as well as led to such distinctions as Maryland's "Top Innovator of the Year," MIT Technology Review Magazine's "Top 100 World Innovators,” and one of Fast Company Magazines “Most Creative People in Business.” She has also been named a Technology Pioneer and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and is currently on their Global Agenda Council for Robotics and Smart devices. Dr. Lathan is actively involved in educational outreach programs that empower women and minorities in science and technology. She is the Founder of Keys to Empowering Youth for junior high school girls, an advisor to the FIRST and VEX robotics program, and a Board Member of the National Black Child Development Institute. Dr. Lathan is also on the Board of Engineering World Health, which supports the emergence of healthcare technology in the developing world, and on the Advisory Board of Amman Imman - Water is Life. Dr. Lathan received her B.A. in Biopsychology and Mathematics from Swarthmore College, and an S.M. in Aeronautics and Astronautics and Ph.D. in Neuroscience from MIT.