Oscar Youngquist '22MS

As a doctoral student at UMass Amherst’s Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS), Oscar Youngquist is driven by a central question: How can robots continue learning the way people do—adapting, improving, and collaborating as their environments change?  

Working in the Human-Centered Robotics Lab, led by Associate Professor Hao Zhang, Youngquist studies lifelong collaborative autonomy, a field of robotics focused on helping robots learn from real-world experience rather than relying solely on static, pre-programmed behavior. These systems are designed to evolve alongside the people and environments they serve, enabling robots to remain capable and responsive over the lifetime of a platform.  

In his video profile, Youngquist shares what excites him about this research and why long-term adaptability is so critical for the next generation of intelligent machines.  

“The idea of lifelong autonomy is giving the robots the skills and tools necessary to continue learning from experience throughout the course of its deployment in order to adapt to new situations and continue to be useful.” 
– Oscar Youngquist  

Beyond his work in the lab, Youngquist serves as co-chair of the Responsible Tech Coalition (RTC), a cross-campus group of graduate students committed to exploring the societal and ethical dimensions of emerging technologies. Through RTC, he helps facilitate interdisciplinary discussions on the impact of AI and automation on civic life, work, and community well-being.  

Watch the full profile video to learn how Youngquist first connected with his advisor, what drives his engagement with responsible technology, and how the CICS community has shaped his graduate experience.