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After telling Associate Professor of Physics and Chair of Physics Nathan Mueggenburg about his interest in robotics, Salazar Ordoñez was introduced to Lecturer in Biology Frederick Prete, who was developing a smart walking cane for people with visual impairments using haptic technology. Salazar Ordoñez joined the research team and, after graduating in May 2025, transitioned into a full-time role continuing the project.

“It’s the perfect intersection of my background in design and art and computational thinking and mathematics,” Salazar Ordoñez said.

His work includes designing and 3D modeling components, assembling electronics, and building prototypes. Seeing the technology move toward real-world use has been especially rewarding.

Salazar Ordoñez, who grew up in Colombia and Ecuador and attended a United World College in Japan, also credits his multidisciplinary education for shaping his research. Alongside Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics Sara Jamshidi, he spent four years developing a mathematical puzzle inspired by children’s alphabet blocks, a project that became his senior thesis and resulted in a scholarly publication.

This fall, Salazar Ordoñez will begin a PhD in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, where he will focus on hardware design and haptics in the SHRED Lab (Social Haptics and Robotics for Education). His long-term goal is to become a professor, combining research with teaching.

Looking back, Salazar Ordoñez says the mentorship he found at Lake Forest made all the difference.

“I think those experiences were a big reason I was able to get into Carnegie,” he said. “In today’s world, we can learn almost anything if we have the discipline. But the connections you make—that’s what matters.”