Michael Abbott joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University in 2024. He holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC Santa Barbara as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from UC Berkeley. Prior to joining academia, he also worked at Angstrom Designs and Northrop Grumman (Goleta) developing automated ground test equipment for satellites. His research lies at the intersection of robotics, haptics, and biomechanics and aims to develop novel assistive technologies to tackle complex problems in healthcare and robotics. Recent projects include integrating a continuously variable transmission into body-powered prostheses and characterizing the haptics of cable-driven upper-limb grasp assistance devices. Outside of the lab and classroom, Michael enjoys playing music in his makeshift studio, practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and exploring Bay Area nature spots.