The Lab
AI & Robotics for Collaborative Systems
The AI & Robotics for Collaborative Systems (ARCS) Lab studies how humans and intelligent systems become more than the sum of their parts. The lab combines qualitative, quantitative, and computational methods to engineer human-AI teams that are trusted, ethical, and effective in the environments that matter most: defense, healthcare, manufacturing, and emergency response.
The Team
The humans behind the human-AI research.
Leadership
Beau G. Schelble, PhD
Founding Director
Assistant Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. PhD in Human-Centered Computing, Clemson University.
Doctoral Researchers
Sarah Mendoza
PhD Student
Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2025.
Yayun Tian
PhD Student
Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2025.
Naveena Nagaraju
PhD Student
Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2026.
DEng Researchers
Daniel Opong-Duah
DEng Student
Doctor of Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2026.
Victoria Lalena
DEng Student
Doctor of Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2025.
Joey Burdin
DEng Student
Doctor of Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2025.
Cody Gaspar
DEng Student
Doctor of Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2024.
Undergraduate Researchers
Gracyn Filer
Undergraduate Researcher
B.S. Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2024.
Brooke Henley
Undergraduate Researcher
B.S. Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2025.
Owen Fair
Undergraduate Researcher
B.S. Information Systems. Joined 2025.
Aiden Conklin
Undergraduate Researcher
B.S. Industrial & Systems Engineering. Joined 2026.
Lab Alumni
Elizabeth Hughes
Lab Alumna
B.S. Applied Artificial Intelligence, 2024–2026.
Carson Bogue
Lab Alumnus
B.S. Industrial & Systems Engineering, 2024–2026. Now a graduate student in Industrial & Systems Engineering.
Join the Lab
The hardest problems in human-AI teaming need more minds.
The ARCS Lab is always looking for curious, rigorous students who want to shape how humans and AI work together. I welcome inquiries from prospective PhD students (Industrial & Systems Engineering), DEng students, and UTK undergraduates interested in research experience. Email bschelbl@utk.edu with your CV and a short note about what questions excite you.