Opportunities

As a newly minted assistant professor, I’m building a lab from scratch and am looking for students who want to build with me. If you’re interested in the work we’re doing and would like to be a part of it, feel free to apply via our contact form. Include your name, current level of education (e.g., applying to graduate school, sophomore in undergraduate, senior in high school, etc.), and a paragraph or two explaining why you’re interested in the lab. I’ll follow up as I have availability to get your CV/transcripts and to schedule a short interview.

See below for position-specific information.

Graduate Students

The recruiting cycle for academic year 2023–2024 has wound down, but I’m always open to having conversations with propsective students seeking to do their graduate studies in ASU’s computer science PhD program. Due to my current position (the academic term is “faculty chairing rights”), I am unable to supervise students in other PhD programs at this time. Students in the computer science MS program are also welcome to reach out regarding thesis research, though I do not have any research funding at the Master’s level. Applicants need not have explicit computer science training; those from mathematics, physics, biology, philosophy, social science, etc. who are willing to make the jump to computer science will fit right in with our interdisciplinary interests.

Undergraduate Students (ASU)

Undergraduates at ASU are welcome to apply for undergraduate research assistantships in our lab, regardless of whether they’re students at Barrett, the Honors College. Our doors are open to any interested students across the university, though some familiarity and interest in computer science, discrete/formal mathematics, or biology will be useful. (Even still, if you’re from another major and have an interesting idea for a project and why you want to do it with our lab, I’ll always listen!) A typical undergraduate research project will span an academic year, often culminating in a collaborative or standalone contribution to one of our ongoing research projects.

Once a research problem is formulated, I have several ways to compensate undergraduate researchers, though applying for funding can take up to a semester of lag time. If you are a student in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, I will encourage and help you to apply for the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI) which provides successful applicants a stipend (money you can do whatever you want with) and a small fund for research supplies. I may also apply for supplemental undergraduate funding (usually a significant stipend) through our research grants, depending on what grants are funding the lab when you apply. Apart from funding, undergraduate research assistants will receive co-authorship for any academic publications they contribute to—even if the completion of the publication occurs after they’ve graduated—and can request letters of recommendation (for internships, jobs, graduate school applications, etc.) as needed.

While not necessary to be involved in the lab, I am happy to supervise students from the Honors College seeking to complete their honors thesis project. Thesis students should apply as early as they have interest, even if their research direction is not yet fully formed or they are not yet officially enrolled in thesis credits. Formulating, executing, and writing up thesis research takes significant time for both the student and the supervisor, and can easily fill an academic year. A unique aspect of having me as your Barrett thesis director is that I’ve done one myself, so I’m well positioned to both guide you through the process and empathize with your stress and success.

High School Students (Tempe & Phoenix Metro Area)

In high school, it can be tough to really know what a career or area of study is until you’ve tried it—and that’s especially true of academic research. High school research assistants in our lab typically work alongside more senior students on manageable, self-contained contributions to larger ongoing research projects. Assistantships are flexible, ranging between more focused summer internships to a year of regular, part-time involvement; whatever works best for your balance of schoolwork, activities, etc.

In almost all cases, I am happy to extend co-authorship to high school assistants on any academic publications they contribute to. I can also write letters of recommendation for college applications at the conclusion of the assistantship. However, unlike the positions listed above, high school research assistantships are typically unpaid because of constraints set by our funding sources.

Our lab welcomes students from all educational backgrounds, so I don’t require that you’ve taken any specific courses (advanced math, beginner programming, etc.) before reaching out. We’re happy to teach whatever skills are needed on a per-project basis. That being said, your prior knowledge and our current projects will factor into matching you to a project that’s realistic for the scope of your assistantship.

Finally, it is of utmost importance that any high school research assistantship with our lab is a safe and positive experience for the student. Before starting an assistantship, I will coordinate with you to complete any requirements set by ASU’s Minors on Campus policy.