Helping Students Achieve Their Visions

Logan Hart joined Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Robotics (MSR) program in May. His job as a program assistant is based in operations — purchasing project parts, organizing events, registering students for classes — but in his eyes, his role goes far beyond a bulleted list of responsibilities.

“I’m always available to lend an ear and help in any way I can,” Hart said. “My No. 1 priority in this role is to help the students achieve their visions while in this program.” 

Those visions can often be lofty, as Hart's quickly discovered. His job is to serve as a go-to connection between students and the administrative side of the program, and in that capacity he gets to hear about student aspirations for their time in MSR. 

In those interactions, Hart is learning firsthand that the field is far more complex than the casual observer might think.

“It’s not just making a humanoid robot straight out of iRobot,” he said. “It’s multi-robot control systems, computer vision … lots of layers all under the umbrella of robotics.”

Hart is new to the role, but he’s not new to the program. He spent the previous year helping out the program's outreach and admissions team. He also was instrumental in the planning and coordination of MSR's involvement in the Robot Block Party at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry  

Through those opportunities, Hart was able to learn about the program — its students, faculty, and alumni. He also identified what he thinks makes the program a prime place for students to learn, experiment, and grow.  

“It boils down to two things: the rigorous instruction and the space to create, fail and learn,” he said. “The instructors are experts at the top of their fields and are wonderful at passing on their knowledge. The program’s facilities are top-notch and provide students with everything they need to bring their creations to life.” 

When students need help or support, they turn to Hart. Through that process, he has increased his own knowledge about the robotics field, but more importantly for him, he's gotten to know more about the students. He's learned about where they are from and their backgrounds, as well as their goals for their time in the program and what they want to do after MSR.  

"Sometimes I get previews of what they’re working on, sometimes I get stories about their hometowns and home countries,” he said. “The program is a great mixing pot all unified under the love of robotics.

“I love being able to support the students in their endeavors. The passion for their work is infectious.”