Meet Our Alumni
Meet Our Alumni
"The Autonomy and Robotics program really helped me a lot in my job, especially through the hands-on experience of working with real robots like autonomous vehicles and manipulators. It gave me insights that are not written in textbooks and helped me better understand how to tackle the challenges I face at work."
- Hao-Yang Joe Hung, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Summer 2025)
Joe is working as an R&D Robotic Systems Engineer at Delta Electronics
in Taiwan.
Flexibility and Breadth
"Because I had the option of choosing a breadth of options, I was able to equip myself with overlapping skills in multiple areas within the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning space, giving me most of the necessary knowledge to pursue many positions in the industry."
"The course structure itself is great for prospective
students entering the program not knowing exactly what they want to end
up doing. Additionally, I was sure that I wanted to work in industry and not
go down the academic route, so having the option of choosing the
Professional Practicum rather than your traditional dissertation (which is
research-based) was good to have."
- Darian Irani, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Fall 2024)
Data Scientist at Concirrus, in London
"This master's program exceeded my expectations with its mix of rigorous coursework and hands-on learning. The faculty and professors were incredibly supportive and brought real-world experience into every class, and I feel significantly more confident in my career path!"
- Dhruv Agarwal, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Summer 2025)
Dhruv will be joining three other Autonomy and Robotics alumni at Tesla in January 2026 as a Software
Engineer.
I was looking to deepen my understanding of robotics and autonomous systems
"The program has been a good fit for bridging my computer
science background with practical robotics work. One thing I've found
helpful is the flexibility in choosing courses that align with where I want to
take my career."
"What I've learned in classes has directly applied to my internship and
research work. Working on projects like programming the GEM
autonomous vehicle gave me a better sense of how perception, motion
planning and control actually work in practice."
"I'm interested in medical robotics and autonomous vehicles, and the
program has helped me build both technical skills and hands-on
experience in those areas. Being part of a research lab has also given me
the chance to work on challenging problems and see how academic
research connects to real-world applications. The mix of coursework,
projects, and research has been me a solid foundation for moving into the
robotics field."
- Brijesh Muthumanickam, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Fall 2025)
Brijesh is working as a Robotics Software Engineer at Smith and
Nephew, a medical technology company focused on the repair,
regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue.
Brijesh and his company, Nora AI, were Co-Grand Prize Winners of the 2025
Cozad New Venture Challenge, which fosters entrepreneurial thinking
and has supported the launch of business ventures. Nora AI is
transforming talent acquisition with their AI interviewer that conducts
human-like interviews at scale.
"I truly believe that the Autonomy and Robotics program has played a significant role in helping me enter the robotics industry. I would also say that practical experience has been equally important, especially the
time I spent in Professor John's Lab, which greatly strengthened my technical background and helped me receive more interview opportunities as I gained hands-on experience."
Chu-Lin Huang, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Fall 2024)
Prior to joining the autonomous vehicle company, Tensor Auto, as a Software Engineer, Chu-Lin worked in
Professor John Reid's lab on an autonomous USV platform.
The program's fast-iteration culture and supportive community were standout strengths.
"The MEng in Autonomy & Robotics at UIUC. turned research concepts into field-ready robotics. Hands-on ROS2 projects (Go1 RL, CARLA racing, IGVC) and faculty mentorship gave me a strong, demo-driven portfolio for interviews. That preparation led to my role at EarthSense, where I lead the Solarbot inspection platform and integrate LiDAR, RTK-GNSS, thermal, and PTZ sensors into a ROS2 autonomy stack."
- Vaibhav Raheja, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Fall 2024)
Vaibhav secured an internship, and then a job opportunity with EarthSense. EarthSense utilizes robotics and AI to solve some of the toughest challenges in agriculture.
The program has been of great use and helped me cover a wide range of topics industry demands today!
The faculty were great. All of the professors I learned from were very knowledgeable, approachable, and
maintained great decorum throughout the courses. One of the benefits of the program is access to the labs
in coursework. The TAs, interaction in the labs, equipment and technologies we worked with were really
cool and helpful to prepare for a position in industry. The flexibility of coursework was another huge benefit.
Also, advising throughout the program is one of the standout positives. Advisors are very approachable and
helpful
- Sridharan Subramanian, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Fall 2024)
Sridharan is currently working as a Machine Learning Engineer at Algorized, Inc. in the Bay Area. Algorized
develops sensing and perception technologies, used in a variety of fields, including autonomous vehicles,
human machine interaction, and consumer electronics.
"The Autonomy & Robotics program provided me great resources on robotics and AI training. The projects I was involved with at Illinois helped me to obtain my first full-time job, as well as get into a PhD program at Duke University."
- Xinyuan Luo, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Fall 2024)
Post-graduation, Xinyuan joined Kepler Robotics in China as a Robot Learning Engineer. He is currently pursuing a Robotics PhD at Duke
University, advised by Xianyi Cheng and Boyuan Chen, researching humanoid robotics.
"This journey surpassed my expectations, providing me with invaluable knowledge and experiences. My expertise was significantly
enhanced, not only broadening my understanding of control, path planning, and CUDA, but also deepening my specialization in computer vision through diverse, relevant courses. What set the program apart was its unparalleled flexibility in course selection across the entire engineering college, allowing students to tailor their graduate plans to their unique aspirations. The capstone project was a particular highlight; it offered me the freedom to initiate research under faculty supervision and start the internship to explore both academia and industry."
- Feiran Wang, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Fall 2023)
Feiran is a PhD student in computer vision at the Illinois Institute of
Technology, whose research focuses on integrating the physical world
into the digital domain and creating real-world impact, with particular
emphasis on 3D reconstruction, vision foundation models, medical
imaging, and generative AI.
The MEng in Autonomy and Robotics is highly effective in combining
academic knowledge with crucial professional experience, making it an
excellent pathway for industry success.
Curriculum Flexibility: The program offers freedom in course selection, allowing students to integrate technical courses from departments like CS and ECE. This interdisciplinary approach provided a strong, tailored foundation for my career path.
Research Opportunities: Through Individual Study, I was able to connect with a professor and conduct valuable lab research. The project experience I gained here was a direct factor in securing my summer internship.
Professional Practicum: The opportunity to engage in a full-time, on-site CPT internship during the term (Professional Practicum) is a major strength. My combined 6-month internship and practicum was instrumental in getting my return offer.
Dedicated Support: Program Coordinator Pat provides communication and guidance, helping students effectively manage their program timeline and planning. He also helped me a lot when applying for CPT & OPT.
"The MEng in Autonomy and Robotics is an outstanding, professionally-focused program that directly prepared me for an industry career."
- Zhiyu Liu, M.Eng. in Autonomy and Robotics (Fall 2025)
Zhiyu is continuing with xMotors.ai full-time in 2026 as a Humanoid Robotics
Engineer after a 6-month internship.