Behind the Scenes with MSR's Associate Director

There are few people students in Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Robotics (MSR) program interact with more than Krzysztof Kozubski. As MSR Associate Director, Kozubski works with students to help make their academic experience as smooth as possible. This past year, that included figuring out all the necessary details to provide incoming students with their own robotic kits so they could gain hands-on experience while working remotely.

Kozubski also plays a pivotal role in helping MSR students create their online portfolios, a key component for students as they apply for jobs after graduation.

As the fall quarter came to a close, Kozubski took a few minutes to talk about his role, how he first was introduced to MSR, and what has surprised him most about the program.

"I get a lot of joy seeing what the students are able to learn, how they're able to create really exciting projects, and ultimately how they are able to grow over the course of a year." —  MSR Associate Director Krzysztof Kozubski

 

In one sentence, what do you see as your most important responsibility as MSR associate director?

Students have logistics to deal with on top of their academics, so I see one of my biggest roles as trying to make their experience as easy as possible so that they can focus on their education.

What is one of your other favorite roles as associate director?

I enjoy helping students with the online portfolios that feature their work. I'm excited about the new student portfolio page that we just launched — if you haven't seen it, go take a look! — and I'm proud of how the students are presenting their work online. I have a background in managing website projects, so I'm able to coach students and help them figure out how to best showcase their work.

I'm able to spend time individually with the students and give feedback on their portfolios. I help them think about what photos and videos to pick and how to organize their website so that they're able to put the focus on their best work. Other than the administrative side, this is where I'm able to help the students most. These are portfolios that they use to get jobs, so that's a key part of my work.

How do you feel your international background helps students from other countries as they begin their MSR experience?

We have a fair number of international students, and many of them have never been to the US.  The US is actually my third country. I'm originally from Poland and also lived in France for 12 years. I understand what it's like to be in a country that is not your home and to see things work differently than you're used to. I have a sense of when, where, and how I can help students from other countries navigate some of the challenges of being an international student in the US.

What's one thing that would surprise most people about yourself?

I have a background in film, media studies, and creative writing.

You've been affiliated with Northwestern for 20 years but have only spent the past two years with MSR. What did you know about the program before becoming a part of it?

I actually organized a talk on campus about the ethics of robotics maybe 10 years ago, and I invited the faculty from the robotics program to participate. I toured the robotics lab around that time and saw some of the technology faculty were using and was amazed. I still remember the fish tanks I saw that were being used in order to build robots to emulate the movement of fish.

Later, I invited MSR Program Director Todd Murphey to give a talk as part of a speaker series at the Buffett Institute for Global Studies, and I thought his work was fascinating. I've been watching the program from afar for about 10 years, so when I saw this job opening, I thought it would be a great opportunity and a cool place to work

What has surprised you about the MSR program?

I'm impressed by the kinds of projects the students are doing. I knew the faculty were doing cutting-edge research, but I'm just as impressed with the level of work by the MSR students. That's not something I was aware of when I started here. I get a lot of joy seeing what the students are able to learn, how they're able to create really exciting projects, and ultimately how they are able to grow over the course of a year.