Welch involved in over $21.6M in robotics research Special to the Advocate Dr. Karla Conn Welch is an Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department at the University of Louisville (UofL). She is an active member of the Louisville Automation and Robotics Research Institute (LARRI). She is part of the team awarded an EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The $20 million grant is a joint project connecting several universities across the commonwealth. Dr. Dan Popa, also in ECE, leads UofL’s branch of the project through LARRI. The 5-year project is called KAMPERS (Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Partnership for Enhanced Robotics and Structures) and will develop global excellence in next-generation flexible electronics, manufacturing technologies, and robotics.