Dr. Cori Lathan, the chief executive officer of De Oro Devices and co-founder of AnthroTronix Inc., was the guest speaker at a College of Engineering and Natural Sciences STEMinar held April 22.
Lathan has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, along with degrees in aeronautics, astronautics, biopsychology and mathematics.
Her work has been featured in Forbes, Time, The New Yorker and TEDx. She has been named Maryland’s Top Innovator of the Year, one of MIT Technology Review’s “Top 100 World Innovators.”
The STEMinar featured a Q&A session with Lathan that included students of Dr. Ashley Owens, assistant professor of engineering, and Women in STEM students and faculty.
Lathan also spent the morning touring the campus and its science facilities, laboratories and classrooms.
The term “STEM” – short for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” – encompasses a broad range of academic disciplines and career pathways in those fields.
In introducing Lathan to the audience, UT Martin Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Philip Cavalier – who attended Swarthmore College with Lathan – told students that she is not focused in just one area.
“I think that’s important,” he said. “I know all of you are learning specific areas of your major, and that’s important and fantastic. But, to get to the point where you’re an innovator and the CEO of a company and a faculty member and highly recognized, a big part of that is because Cori is interested in a wide range of things, curious about the world.”
Lathan founded a research and development company, AnthroTronix, which she ran for 20 years and still serves as a board member.
“Biomedical engineering didn’t exist as a degree going through college,” she said. “That’s probably what I would have majored in now, but instead, I took lots of math and neuroscience and psychology and aerospace engineering.”
Lathan’s work has ranged from developing robots that assist children with disabilities to creating virtual reality environments for astronauts aboard the space station.
Lathan has also contributed to the development of wearable sensor technology and mobile medical applications for military personnel and clinicians.
Her latest book, “Inventing the Future: Stories from a Techno-Optimist,” chronicles her decades-long journey in leveraging technology to improve the world.
Dr. Lily Pharris, assistant professor of computer science, was among the UT Martin faculty members to host Lathan on her visit to campus.
“Having Dr. Cori Lathan visit UT Martin was an inspiring experience, especially for students pursuing careers in STEM fields,” she said. “Not too long ago, Dr. Lathan was sitting in a seat just like theirs — full of ambition, ideas and a desire to make a difference. Today, she stands as a powerful example of where following your passions, dreams and heart can lead.
“Through her work as an inventor, entrepreneur and advocate for inclusive technology, Dr. Lathan showed our students that innovation isn’t just about building the future; it’s about shaping it with empathy, creativity and perseverance. I hope her story leaves a lasting impression, inspiring students to see themselves as the next generation ready to take up the torch and lead us toward an optimistic future.”
More information about Dr. Cori Lathan can be found at her website, inventthefuture.tech.
PHOTO: Dr. Cori Lathan, an inventor, author, innovator and entrepreneur with degrees in several science-related fields, shows how a NexStride walking assist device can re-establish neurological connections in people who have a freezing gait or a shuffle gait due to neurological disorders like stroke or Parkinson’s disease that prevent them from walking when or how they want to. The device emits a beam of light or an audio tone, changing walking from a self-directed movement to a goal-directed movement. Lathan visited UT Martin April 22. NexStride is a product of De Oro Devices, where Lathan serves as the CEO.
