From Robotics to App Development: MIT Senior Julianna Schneider Builds Technology to Solve Community Problems
Cambridge, MA – December 19, 2025 — At the intersection of technology and community service stands Julianna Schneider, a senior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), whose innovative projects range from robotics research to creating apps that empower and connect people. Driven by a desire to apply technical skills to real-world challenges, Schneider exemplifies the spirit of interdisciplinary study and social impact innovation.
NerdXing: Democratizing Course Discovery at MIT
Navigating MIT’s vast curriculum, which spans many departments and offers countless academic pathways, can be a daunting task for students unsure about their major or area of focus. To address this, Schneider collaborated with members of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing Undergraduate Advisory Group (UAG) to create NerdXing, a novel digital platform designed to help students explore potential classes by showing the courses previously taken by their peers.
“NerdXing lets students search for a class and see what other classes people went on to take, including some off the beaten path,” Schneider explains. Her hope is that the tool will “democratize course knowledge for everyone,” giving freshmen and undecided students access to insights that might guide them to discover new academic interests aligned with their aspirations.
A Background Rooted in Diverse Experiences
Before arriving at MIT, Schneider’s journey started far from Massachusetts, in Albania, where she was an accomplished classical pianist. She draws parallels between the precision and motor skills required for piano performance and those needed in robotics, finding a seamless crossover between the two disciplines.
Her passion for robotics blossomed at age 13 when she joined her high school robotics team. Quickly becoming a leader in coding and robot construction, she earned 14 regional and national awards across teams during her middle and high school years.
At just 16, Schneider built an app called VoluntYOU to connect English-speaking volunteers at her international school in Tirana to local charities that posted opportunities only in Albanian. The platform grew to have 18 ambassadors on four continents and facilitated charitable activities from distributing burritos in Reno, Nevada, to organizing vaccination drives in Italy.
Reflecting on these experiences, Schneider credits her international upbringing for fostering an acute awareness of diverse community needs and fueling her desire to find technological solutions. “When I enter a new community and I can immediately think, ‘If we had this tool, that would be so cool and help so many people,’ that comes from hearing about everyone’s different life experiences,” she says.
Advancing Robotics with Real-World Impact
At MIT, Schneider balances her double major in artificial intelligence and decision-making and mathematics with research in the Biomimetic Robotics Laboratory under Professor Sangbae Kim. Her work includes developing advanced controllers for legged robots, such as the well-known back-flipping "mini cheetah," focusing on hybrid-learning and model-based approaches that enable robots to operate effectively even with limited onboard computing power.
These robots have promising applications in critical scenarios where they may act as partners to humans, especially in areas with limited access to advanced technology. “It’s not just technology for its own sake,” Schneider emphasizes. “Legged robotics have the best potential to be robotic partners in high-stakes situations.”
One of her long-term ambitions is to enable remote surgical procedures through robotic technology, bridging gaps in healthcare access worldwide.
A Well-Rounded Student Life
Beyond her academic and research pursuits, Schneider enjoys engaging with MIT’s vibrant arts scene, particularly the social dancing community. She recently found joy in participating in country line dancing events, appreciating them as a fun way to form friendships and strengthen community ties.
Looking Ahead
Julianna Schneider’s path from classical piano prodigy to innovative technologist highlights the power of combining diverse skills and experiences to tackle real problems. Her projects—whether developing user-friendly educational tools like NerdXing or pursuing cutting-edge robotics research—aim to create meaningful societal impact.
As Schneider puts it, “Finding a problem in my community and then finding the right technology to solve that—that framework guides everything I do.”
For press inquiries, contact:
Abby Abazorius
Email: abbya@mit.edu
Phone: 617-253-2709
Related Links:
- MIT Schwarzman College of Computing
- Biomimetic Robotics Laboratory
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Department of Mathematics
