Vince Kurtz

Hi, I’m Vince! I’ll be joining DePaul’s School of Computing in January 2026. Until then, I’m working with the Large Behavior Models team at Toyota Research Institue.

In my research, I develop planning and control algorithms for high-degree-of-freedom robots like quadrupeds, humanoids, and manipulators. Sometimes this involves flashy things like throwing robots off ladders to get them to land on their feet: other times it’s more mundane, like getting a robot to fidget with a cube.

I previously worked as a postdoc and research scientist in the Ames and Burdick groups at Caltech. From 2017-2023 I was a PhD student in the DISCOVER lab at Notre Dame. Before grad school, I studied physics and violin performance at Goshen College.

Prospective Students: If you are a highly motivated student interested in pursuing cutting-edge robotics research in the heart of downtown Chicago, please feel free to reach out!