MSR Alumni Celebrate the Program's 10-Year History

It was over the summer that Liz Metzger found herself missing her classmates from Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Robotics (MSR) program. 

Metzger (MSR '23), a software engineer at Pittsburgh-based Onward Robotics, decided it was time to get her cohort back together. The group is now spread across the country, so she reached out and proposed they return to campus for a mini reunion.  

"It's definitely different doing robotics and not having my best friends around," Metzger said. "I felt like it was important to see them again and kind of keep that relationship strong." 

She then contacted MSR leadership to let them know of her cohort's plan. That's when a mini reunion became a full-fledged celebration of the program's 10-year history.  

"With our milestone anniversary approaching, we knew we wanted to recognize all of the people who helped build the program into what it is today," MSR director Matthew Elwin said. "When Liz reached out and said her class was already planning on returning to campus, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to bring even more alumni back to campus and celebrate the past, present, and future of the program." 

With support from the MSR program, Metzger, James Avtges (MSR '22), Nick Morales (MSR '23), Meg Sindelar (MSR '23), and Dilan Wijesinghe (MSR '23) spearheaded a push to bring as many alumni back to campus as possible. Their work resulted in the largest gathering of MSR community members in the program's history.  

Graduates from every MSR cohort came together this fall in Evanston to meet, reconnect, and learn how the program has evolved since their time on campus. 

"The original motivation was seeing our friends again, but as soon as it became a larger event, it shifted into a new opportunity to meet new people and network within a group of people who we know are exceptional," said Morales, a robotics software engineer at space robotics company Astrobotic. "It was a great opportunity to meet people, put faces to names that we'd heard of but didn't know, and extend our network within the robotics community." 

Wijesinghe, a software engineer at consulting firm Karagoian & Case, agreed. 

"Once we started to meet all of these people, particularly from the earlier cohorts, we were able to kind of see the history of the program," he said. "That shared history also allowed us to break the ice much quicker. We know we've had very similar experiences in terms of education as well as the rigor that's required in MSR." 

More than 100 alumni, faculty, and guests attended a reception on campus as part of the reunion. As part of the festivities, alumni toured the program's newly-renovated lab spaces and ever-increasing stable of new robots available for student use. 

Alumni also spent time in Chicago's Fulton Market district and at Montrose Beach during the celebratory weekend.  

For Morales, the experience highlighted the community that exists within MSR. 

"When you're in MSR, you're a part of a really tight group of people, honestly more than almost any group I've been a part of academic-wise," he said. "I had friends in undergrad who I still keep in touch with, but nothing has ever been quite as tight-knit with people all on the same page as MSR." 

Metzger knew she and her classmates were close. After seeing so many fellow alumni together, she realized the bond she and her classmates have is one that extends well beyond their cohort. 

"It was nice to feel so supported by the program," she said. "Even though we've graduated, it was so nice to really feel like we're still part of that community."