Guiding Students, Respecting Robots: Welcoming Assistant Teaching Professor Griffin Tabor to Robotics Engineering
We are thrilled to announce that Griffin Tabor has joined the Robotics Engineering Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute as an Assistant Teaching Professor. With his unique blend of academic rigor, innovative robotics research, and steadfast commitment to education, Professor Tabor is poised to make an impactful addition to our community. Professor Tabor’s journey in robotics began in middle school at a LEGO robotics summer camp, an environment that ignited a lifelong fascination with how mechanical and digital worlds converge. A formative moment unfolded when Professor Tabor spun a motor and watched a microprocessor power up without a battery. “Realizing how generators and motors were the same thing, and how cool that is has stuck with me ever since,” he recalls, capturing the essence of curiosity that has guided his work ever since. Professor Tabor is a proud WPI alumnus, having earned his Bachelor of Science in Robotics Engineering in 2018. From there, he pursued a PhD in Computing with a Robotics Track from the University of Utah, which he completed in 2024. His doctoral research focused on motion planning, control, and numerical optimization, including groundbreaking work using magnets to manipulate non-magnetic objects—possibilities that extend to futuristic applications like space debris cleanup. As a teaching scholar, Professor Tabor believes deeply in project-centered learning. He emphasizes a classroom structure where every concept builds toward a meaningful term-long project—instilling clear purpose and contextual relevance in each lesson. At WPI, he looks forward to guiding Major Qualifying Projects (MQPs), advising the WPI Robotics Club, and supporting students involved in competitive robotics. Professor Tabor strongly encourages students to “join a club and get involved. We have lots of different robotics clubs going on that are applicable to both RBE majors and otherwise.” His thriving interest in mobile robotics and extracurricular engagement reflects his conviction that hands-on experience is transformative in learning. Professor Tabor’s arrival reinforces WPI’s strengths in project-based education, student-led innovation, and cutting-edge robotics research—all educational pillars he aligns with deeply. Professor Tabor’s combination of technical expertise, educational insight, and an affinity for robotics competitions positions him as a dynamic mentor for students. He’s excited to foster interest in probabilistic methods in robotics—reflecting a growing trend to better model uncertainty and complexity with today’s computing power. He playfully notes, “I think our robot overlords are right around the corner. As long as I train students to treat robots with respect, maybe the robots will treat me with respect—even though they’re still tricky and not always cooperative!”
We are thrilled to announce that Griffin Tabor has joined the Robotics Engineering Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute as an Assistant Teaching Professor. With his unique blend of academic rigor, innovative robotics research, and steadfast commitment to education, Professor Tabor is poised to make an impactful addition to our community.
Professor Tabor’s journey in robotics began in middle school at a LEGO robotics summer camp, an environment that ignited a lifelong fascination with how mechanical and digital worlds converge. A formative moment unfolded when Professor Tabor spun a motor and watched a microprocessor power up without a battery. “Realizing how generators and motors were the same thing, and how cool that is has stuck with me ever since,” he recalls, capturing the essence of curiosity that has guided his work ever since.
Professor Tabor is a proud WPI alumnus, having earned his Bachelor of Science in Robotics Engineering in 2018. From there, he pursued a PhD in Computing with a Robotics Track from the University of Utah, which he completed in 2024. His doctoral research focused on motion planning, control, and numerical optimization, including groundbreaking work using magnets to manipulate non-magnetic objects—possibilities that extend to futuristic applications like space debris cleanup.
As a teaching scholar, Professor Tabor believes deeply in project-centered learning. He emphasizes a classroom structure where every concept builds toward a meaningful term-long project—instilling clear purpose and contextual relevance in each lesson.
At WPI, he looks forward to guiding Major Qualifying Projects (MQPs), advising the WPI Robotics Club, and supporting students involved in competitive robotics. Professor Tabor strongly encourages students to “join a club and get involved. We have lots of different robotics clubs going on that are applicable to both RBE majors and otherwise.” His thriving interest in mobile robotics and extracurricular engagement reflects his conviction that hands-on experience is transformative in learning.
Professor Tabor’s arrival reinforces WPI’s strengths in project-based education, student-led innovation, and cutting-edge robotics research—all educational pillars he aligns with deeply.
Professor Tabor’s combination of technical expertise, educational insight, and an affinity for robotics competitions positions him as a dynamic mentor for students. He’s excited to foster interest in probabilistic methods in robotics—reflecting a growing trend to better model uncertainty and complexity with today’s computing power.
He playfully notes, “I think our robot overlords are right around the corner. As long as I train students to treat robots with respect, maybe the robots will treat me with respect—even though they’re still tricky and not always cooperative!”
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