Getting out of your comfort zone

Natasha Mutangana wants to solve practical issues. That’s why she’s drawn to robotics: she’s found that, in the African context, robotics is mostly theoretical research. So, with her background in mechanical engineering from the University of Rwanda, she can integrate it with practical applications to increase productivity and solve safety issues. She has recently completed the Master of Science in Engineering Artificial Intelligence (MS EAI) program at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, specializing in robotics and machine learning.

She was drawn to CMU-Africa because of its MS EAI program, allowing her to combine her background in mechanical engineering with cutting-edge AI research. During her time at CMU-Africa, she worked as a research assistant in the AI and Robotics Lab with David Vernon as her supervisor. The main research she worked on was developing culturally sensitive social robots for Africa. Her research in robotics continued with Jean Oh of Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute where she worked on a social navigation project. In this project, she explored aircraft navigation patterns and how pilots make decisions in different circumstances. These patterns can be learned and adopted to improve drone autonomy. This research allowed her to return to a childhood interest in aviation: "It’s cool to combine my passion and contribute to the development of the robotics and aviation sectors," she said.

Mutangana spent the spring 2024 semester on Carnegie Mellon University’s Pittsburgh campus as a part of the CMU-Africa student exchange program, which she was able to undertake due to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. She credits the program as "the thing that allowed everything to happen. I was able to pursue a world-renowned education program with a full scholarship. With the different programs and opportunities I was exposed to as a [Mastercard Foundation Scholar], I was able to push my boundaries." Part of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program involves student projects to develop them as leaders and community engagers. In one of these projects, Mutangana led a fundraising initiative with the support of other Mastercard Foundation Scholars and the whole CMU-Africa community to refurbish a genocide survivor’s house. "It’s given me that platform to go outside my comfort space because I had never done anything like fundraising or leading such a big project."

Mutangana’s experience at CMU, both in Kigali and Pittsburgh, allowed her to work with diverse groups of students. She became familiar with new perspectives: "At CMU-Africa, it allowed me to work with other Africans, so it opens your mind and adds other perspectives to your thinking. And then in Pittsburgh, it's super diverse. You meet people from everywhere: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Europe. Meeting, interacting, and learning from everyone I met at CMU, students, faculty, and staff members in Kigali and Pittsburgh, has been the highlight of my experience at CMU."

In addition to her research, Mutangana was very involved in the CMU-Africa student community. She joined the Student Guild as Communications Minister. There, she learned how to prioritize, plan, and delegate and has been able to use these skills "everywhere" and it made her a leader among her exchange program cohort. The role contributed to her great personal growth: "The role helped me network, learn about myself, become a better leader, and become a better communicator."

Yes, do well in class, but don't limit yourself to just class.

Natasha Mutangana, (MS EAI ‘24)

After arriving in Pittsburgh in January 2024, she explored the city and endured winter. Her classes were focused on integrating technical skills into industry spaces. In her free time, she engaged in numerous activities, such as representing CMU at Rwanda Day in Washington, D.C., attending the National Society of Black Engineers' 50th National Convention in Atlanta, engaging in different on-campus conferences and conversations like the workshop on Supporting National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Development of Guidelines on Red-teaming for Generative AI and the Three Minute PhD Thesis presentations, and participating in the flying club activities. She also visited different Pittsburgh must-see places like the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History, the Andy Warhol Museum, and Phipps Conservatory, to name a few.

She attended her graduation in Pittsburgh in May and would like to work in the industry for a few years to contribute with the skills she has learned before someday returning to academia for a Ph.D. Her advice to prospective and current students is: "Oh, do not stay in your books. Yes, do well in class, but don't limit yourself to just class. Be involved in clubs, be involved in available leadership roles, take on research, and interact with professors because those things will have more impact as you graduate. You know, get out of your comfort zone."