Jamaican American Robotics Graduate Sets Carnegie Mellon First

Beverly “Bev” Da Costa, a Jamaican American student, has earned a place in Carnegie Mellon University’s record books as the first graduate of its bachelor’s programme in robotics. She received the degree at the university’s commencement after finishing the undergraduate robotics course of study, which was introduced three years ago.

The achievement also carries deep meaning for her Jamaican family. Her parents, Janice and Christopher Da Costa, are both past students of Knox College in Clarendon. Janice comes from Chudleigh in Manchester, while Christopher is from Christiana, also in Manchester.

Da Costa, a first-generation robotics engineer, represents both a major academic accomplishment and the wider contribution of Caribbean families to science, technology and engineering.

Carnegie Mellon has built an international reputation in robotics, supported by its Robotics Institute, established in 1979. Although the university has offered graduate-level robotics study for many years, its Bachelor of Science in Robotics was formally started in 2023. Da Costa is the first student to finish that undergraduate degree.

The programme brings together computer science, robotic systems, engineering and artificial intelligence, while placing strong emphasis on research and practical work.

Speaking with Jamaicans.com about the milestone, Da Costa said the moment was deeply significant. “Being the first to graduate from such an incredible program means the world to me. Carnegie Mellon shapes the leaders who will define what technology looks like, and getting to be the start of that for robotics carries real weight. I care deeply about building technology that brings people together in strength and ability, and that drive is what brought me here and what I’m taking with me,” Da Costa said.

Da Costa grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where her interest in technology, robotics and problem-solving began early. In high school, she took part in coding workshops and robotics activities that helped point her toward the career she is now pursuing.

She began at Carnegie Mellon in 2021 as a computer science student. After the university announced the new robotics degree, she moved into that programme. Through it, students worked closely with robotic systems by building, testing, programming and developing hardware in applied settings.

Da Costa has said robotics gave her a way to bring creativity and hands-on building together while tackling practical problems.

For her senior capstone, Da Costa and her team created a robotic arm operated through hand gestures. The work used computer vision, wireless communication and custom-built hardware. The system was intended to let a person guide the robot from a distance using natural hand movements.

The project also examined how robotics could make some workplaces safer, particularly in industries where employees may face hazardous tasks. Da Costa’s role centred on software integration, linking the robotic arm, cameras, glove controls and communication elements into one functioning system.

The capstone later drew notice during commencement events when students showed their work to Jensen Huang, the founder of Nvidia.

Da Costa’s next step will take her to Arizona State University this fall, where she plans to study for a master’s degree in AI Engineering with a robotics focus. She wants to keep developing technology that people can rely on, while also helping make robotics and engineering more inclusive.

She has also voiced the view that robotics has room for everyone, including students who may not often see people like themselves represented in the field.

Her graduation has resonated with Jamaican and Caribbean communities as another example of families with Jamaican roots contributing to education, science and innovation across the world. Through her parents’ ties to Knox College and their Manchester roots, the moment also reflects values of education, advancement and opportunity carried across generations.

As Carnegie Mellon’s first undergraduate robotics degree holder, Beverly “Bev” Da Costa has helped mark a new chapter for the university while continuing to shape her own future in robotics and artificial intelligence.