KOLab @ Tufts

It is in Kollectives that we create knowledge!

Principle investigator

Hungtang Ko

Joined Spring 2026

Graduate students

Kendall Olszowka

PhD student. Joining Fall 2026.

Srushti Raste

PhD student. Joining Fall 2026.

Undergraduate students

Emma Gall

Tufts Mechanical Engineering. Joined Spring 2026.

Ceci LaBarge

Tufts Mechanical Engineering. Joined Spring 2026.

Postdog

Deko Ko

Joined the lab in Spring 2026

We are recruiting!

Actually we’ll decide the design of the sticker together later too. This is just a quick mockup from Google Gemini.

KOLab is seeking members to join our mission to unveil the secrets of underwater collective behavior. Yes, you may receive a founding member sticker as a reward. But most importantly, you will get to a build state-of-the-art lab facility with me and help shape the direction of our research.

We are recruiting at all levels. Students from any academic and cultural backgrounds are welcome, but passion and commitment are required.

  • high school: we do NOT have positions for any high school students.
  • undergrads: we currently only recruit students who have finished ME30 and ME51 (junior fall). Exceptions may be made for projects unrelated to robotics (mathematical modeling, STEM ed, etc). We expect at least a year of commitment from you. Undergrads outside Tufts are welcomed to reach out as well.
  • grad: we don’t currently have openings for Fall 2027, but subject to change. Students will their own funding source or with a strong NSF GFRP proposal will be considered favorably.
  • Postdoc: we don’t currently have funding for a postdocs.

What we value: above all else, we seek your contribution to our inclusive and hard-working culture. Preference will also be given to those who have encountered and persevered through challenges, and those who have created and cared for people unlike themselves. Hard-working doesn’t working overtime. But we expect you to maximize the time you spend with KOLab to grow, to learn, and to produce results.

Everything else is negotiable and we are willing to adapt to your interests and skill levels. We value your passion, whether in fluids, robotics, biology, etc. We value your general knowledge in these areas, and any simulation skills. We also value your hands-on skills, from arts and crafts to CAD, 3D printing, soldering, PCB etc. We value your artistic interests and design experiences.

Interested? Please don’t hesitate to email Prof. Ko at hungtang.ko@tufts.edu with subject “[Prospective (under)grad student] First_name Last_name”! Make sure to highlight your relevant experiences and personal research interest in the email and attach your CV. Please include your fish rating as well (see below). I look forward to hearing from you!

Mentorship

KOLab takes pride in not only producing leading-edge research but also providing space for learning and self-improvement. We will generate a mentorship plan together at the beginning of each semester, evaluating your strengths and weaknesses and discussing actionable steps for growth. By the end of your research journey at KOLab, you will experience significant growth in six dimensions:

  • Hardware Design & Experiment (hands-on!)
  • Theory & Numerical Simulation (math!)
  • Scientific Writing
  • Public Speaking
  • Graphic Design
  • Inclusive Mentorship & Teaching

We will track your growth by assigning from 1-5 fish 🐟 (partial fish possible e.g, 0.2🐟) to each category each year. For reference, Prof. Ko is something like (Hardware-4.3🐟; Theory-4.7🐟; Writing-4.4🐟; Speaking-4.4🐟; Graphics-4.7🐟; Inclusiveness-4.5🐟). We are thrilled to grow with you.

Extra credit when approaching Prof. Ko: include in your email your self-evaluation in these areas. For undergrad applicants, ensure you have a total 19.8 🐟 with all areas combined (on average 3.3🐟 per area). For grad applicants, ensure a total of 21🐟 (on average 3.5🐟 per area).

Working with KOLab, you will earn 1.2 🐟 per year (0.4 🐟 each spring/summer/fall semester). You should have at least 21🐟 when you finish your undergrad, and 27 🐟 when you finish your PhD!

Mentorship @Georgia Tech & Princeton

At Georgia Tech and Princeton, I’ve mentored a team of brilliant undergrads to do research! They have made tremendous contributions to our discoveries. I am excited to work with undergraduate students from Tufts!

Many of the team members have presented at regional or national conferences such as SICB (Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology) and DFD (American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics), contributed to and co-authored research articles, and won competitive research awards such as PURA (Presidential Undergraduate Research Award, $1,500),

8 Semesters

6 Semesters

4 Semesters

3 Semesters

2 Semesters

1 Semester

*as of Fall 2025