Aisha Walcott (PhD '11) is a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Walcott is "truly passionate in seeing physical environments becoming seamlessly enhanced with robotics and autonomous systems".

She is a founding member of the Academy of Courageous Minority Engineers, a professional and scholar development program for graduate students.

Her many service projects include collaborative work with institutions in Africa. She helping set up a laboratory at the Takoradi Technical Institue in Ghana through the MIT Center For Bits and Atoms (CBA) Fab Labs. As part of the 2004 MIT-AITI team, Walcott taught Computer Programming with Java and Entrpreneurship at the University of Ghana, Legon. In 2007, she worked with MIT alum Eric Mibuari and MIT's Public Service Center to collect computers and related equipment for donation to the Laare Community Technology Centre in Kenya.

Walcott was nominated for the MLK Leadership Award by at least five people for how she brings “her talent to bear in service to the world community.”

Humbled to receive the award, Walcott said her service to others is “extremely fulfilling and always a learning opportunity.” She recognized that her work has been done “with many others, including those here at MIT, out in our communities and across the globe.”