CEHD News Stories

ACCESS Academy Spotlight: Toan Do

September 15, 2026

By Christy Hudson

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For Toan Do, an interest in robotics began with curiosity about how things work. That curiosity eventually led him to George Mason University, where he is pursuing a degree in electrical engineering and exploring how programming and hands-on hardware development can come together.

“I initially chose my Electrical Engineering degree because I wanted a combination of computer programming and hands-on hardware building,” Do said.

When Do arrived at Mason, he did not yet have a specific career path in mind. An opportunity through one of his first engineering courses helped change that. His “Introduction to Electrical Engineering” professor, Cameron Nowzari, invited students to visit his robotics lab, introducing Do to research opportunities where he could apply his classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges.

“Being a robotics research assistant has helped solidify my career goals,” Do said.

Now, as a robotics research assistant and undergraduate student, Do is building both technical expertise and experience that is helping him define his future in engineering. This summer, he expanded that experience into leadership through ACCESS Academy’s Artificial Intelligence Summer Camp.

Do helped lead a team of Mason undergraduate mentors in developing the camp’s advanced curriculum and working with high school students. The experience gave him an opportunity to strengthen his leadership and project management skills while also applying his technical knowledge in a new setting.

For Do, mentoring has also reinforced the importance of being able to communicate technical concepts clearly. Explaining engineering concepts to students requires him to think critically about his own understanding and find ways to make complex ideas accessible.

As a Mason undergraduate, Do is gaining opportunities to do more than build technical expertise. Through coursework, research, and experiences like ACCESS Academy, he is developing the leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills that will help shape his career.

Looking ahead, Do hopes to work in robotics and embedded systems, developing technologies that help and inspire people. He is particularly interested in organizations such as Boston Dynamics, Disney Imagineering’s research and development teams, and NASA.

Through Mason, Do is gaining experience that allows him to explore those possibilities now, while also helping the next generation of students begin imagining their own paths into technology.