Noah Medrano’s 2024-25 academic year was marked by numerous accomplishments. He was named a Hispanic Scholarship Fund scholar, presented his research at a conference for the first time, and most recently received the Robert L. Shurter Prize for leadership in extracurricular activities. Assistant Professor Alexis E. Block nominated him for this award due to his outstanding leadership in research, HackCWRU, residential life, and CWRU’s self-care club.
Medrano’s international research engagement was a highlight of this past year. In March, he traveled to Australia to present his work on the Affect-Sensing Wearables project at the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). His project aims to support individuals through a wearable device to enhance social-physical interaction. “I had an amazing time getting to know the HRI research community and gained valuable insight from other researchers regarding my current project,” said Medrano, who was also selected to serve as a student volunteer at the conference.
In addition to his research, Medrano spent the spring semester as treasurer of HackCWRU, a hackathon for students at CWRU and neighboring schools. He managed purchases, planned and organized events, and helped the club raise over $12,000 for prizes and facilities costs.
Medrano’s impact extends beyond engineering at CWRU; he also actively contributes to campus residential life. Last year, he served as the Smith House Representative and Chair of Programming for the Juniper Community Council within the Residence Hall Association (RHA). In addition to planning and hosting events for residents of Juniper halls, he led RHA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion fair. He was eventually promoted to Vice President of Residential Services on the Executive Board of the RHA. As an RHA leader, he addressed facility concerns, leads the RHA’s Advocacy Committee, and serves as National Communications Coordinator for next year’s National Residence Hall Honorary. As the Spring 2026 Regional Business Conference facilities chair, he will manage delegations at conferences for both CWRU and the National Residence Hall Honorary.
Medrano is also co-president of CWRU’s self-care club, Se-xy (Self-carE, Xoxo You!). This organization hosts self-care events every two weeks to enhance students’ well-being and mental health and to foster a positive environment.
As Medrano continues his undergraduate studies, he aims to create systems that support the mental health and well-being of vulnerable or underrepresented populations. He also seeks to deepen his expertise in data analysis, recognizing its importance in modern research. “I am working to improve my research skills and gather experience designing and conducting user studies that involve generating insights for the general population,” he said.
