From competition to career: Purdue CS supporting future roboticists

04-09-2026

A group of five men stand on a robotics competition field alongside two robots—a humanoid robot in the center and a smaller quadruped robot to the right—while a crowd of spectators fills the bleachers in the background.

At a recent FIRST Robotics Competition event in Lafayette, high school robotics teams put their robots to the test. The competition ran from March 26-28 and hosted schools from all over the state with support from Purdue Computer Science.

Purdue has strong ties to FIRST Robotics. Many of the teams have mentors and coaches who are alumni, current students, and even the Department Head, Petros Drineas.

"Through coaching FIRST Robotics teams, I’ve seen firsthand how hands-on learning builds students’ confidence and curiosity,” says Drineas. “At Purdue Computer Science, we support programs that connect classroom learning with real-world impact, empowering students to see themselves as creators in technology."

By combining technical instruction with real-world application, the program helps students build skills in programming, engineering, and problem-solving, while also developing confidence and teamwork.

High school students in bright uniforms gather around their robot as they prepare to enter the competition field.

 

"There’s something way more important than building and competing with robots going on here. These kids are learning to solve deep, meaningful, ambiguous problems when there's no clear answer in the back of the book and no one to hand them one. I regularly see our students in this program work through challenges that routinely trip up adults. FIRST produces people who have not just the knowledge, but the confidence and contextual awareness to actually do the work and do it well, and that mindset is way more valuable to me than anything we win at our competitions."

Many Purdue students point to FIRST as the launchpad that first inspired their passion for robotics and computing, and several find ways to get involved as mentors or event volunteers.

Undergraduate student, Thomas Peterson demonstrating the controls for a quadruped robot to a child.

“FIRST Robotics provided me with an early experience showing how enjoyable and satisfying it can be working on difficult problems in a team of my peers,” says Tassos Manganaris, a Ph.D. student from the Department of Computer Science. “My current work in robotics research is an amplification of that experience. It is more challenging but significantly more satisfying. I appreciate any opportunity to share just how exciting and fulfilling this kind of work can be with students who may be following the steps I took.”

The Department’s involvement with local robotics competitions reflects a broader push through Purdue CS Outreach’s Robotics Initiative, which aims to make computer science tangible and accessible through hands-on learning. The initiative provides schools and teams with classroom-ready curriculum and robotics kits.

Educators, community partners, and industry collaborators can get involved by partnering with Purdue CS Outreach to support teams, participate in events, contribute to classroom resources, or help expand access to robotics and computing opportunities across Indiana.

“As a FIRST alum myself, I’ve seen how experiences like FIRST Robotics show students that computer science isn’t just something you learn from a screen—it’s something you can explore, build, and even play with,” says Jessica Brewer, K-12 outreach administrator for the Department of Computer Science.

“Robotics creates a powerful bridge between curiosity and confidence, and through Purdue CS Outreach, we’re working to expand that bridge by introducing students earlier through programs like FIRST LEGO League, supporting mentorship, and creating pathways that allow teams to grow through high school. By connecting students, teachers, and teams with resources and meaningful experiences, we’re helping make computing feel tangible and accessible.”

Through efforts like the Outreach Robotics Initiative and support of programs like FIRST, Purdue Computer Science is helping bridge the gap between classroom learning and future careers, empowering students to see themselves not just as participants but as creators in the world of technology.



About the Department of Computer Science at Purdue University

Founded in 1962, the Department of Computer Science was created to be an innovative base of knowledge in the emerging field of computing as the first degree-awarding program in the United States. The department continues to advance the computer science industry through research. U.S. News & World Report ranks the department No. 16 and No. 19 overall in undergraduate and graduate computer science, respectively. Graduates of the program are able to solve complex and challenging problems in many fields. Our consistent success in an ever-changing landscape is reflected in the record undergraduate enrollment, increased faculty hiring, innovative research projects, and the creation of new academic programs. Learn more at cs.purdue.edu.  

Last Updated: Apr 7, 2026 10:13 PM