Prospective Students

Thank you for your interest in the Multi-Scale Robotics & Automation Lab and in Purdue University. I receive a number of inquiries regarding the availability of research positions in the lab, and unfortunately cannot always respond to these requests but be assured that it has been received.   Therefore, I have posted some comments on frequently asked questions that I have compiled regarding research opportunities at Purdue and also specifically about working at the MSRAL.

Do you have research assistantships available?
I am always interested in hiring outstanding students to join my group. The best way to ensure that your application is considered for a research assistantship is to apply for admission so that I can evaluate your complete application package. Please indicate in your application package that you are interested in working with me and how or what types of projects you are interested in working on. Research assistantships are typically for PhD students starting in Fall semesters. The application deadline to be considered for funding for the Fall semester is December 15. Please follow this link for more information on the graduate application process.
What are the requirements and test scores (TOEFL, GRE) that are required to apply to Purdue?
Please see the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program Admission Requirements listed on this page.
I am interested in a post-doctoral position with your group. How can I apply for such a position?
 Please email me a complete CV (including a list of at least three references) and two representative publications that highlight your research work to date.  Please also include a Personal Statement indicating why you are interested in my group, how you feel you will be able to contribute to the research, and how a post-doctoral position with my group fits into your larger career goals. Be sure to comment on any previous experience you may have in writing research proposals. If you are an international scholar, it would also be beneficial to know of your availability to work in the US and when you would be available to start.
I am interested in pursuing a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue. Are Research Assistantships or Teaching Assistants available for Masters students?
As a general rule of thumb, PhD students are more likely to be supported on RA or TA positions. However, outstanding Masters students with strong research experience will be considered for such support. In such cases Masters students must pursue a 6 credit thesis option for the Masters degree. In the past such students typically work towards completing a PhD in a related topic/field at Purdue upon completion of the requirements for their Masters degree.
How can I learn more about your research?
A general overview of the research activities of our group can be found on this website. While the descriptions of the research areas may not be updated continuously, I make a concerted effort to keep the Publications section of the website up to date specifically so that potential graduate students can see our latest work. If you are interested in a research position with in the MSRAL, a good first step is to be able to convince me that you have researched (i.e. read) at least some of our publications. A good way to ensure that your email will be deleted without being read is to include me on a ‘spam’ email directed at a large number of faculty or to continually e-mail me the same message over and over again.
Why would you suggest that I enroll at Purdue?
As a graduate student at Purdue University, you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge research opportunities in a vibrant setting, where many world-renown faculty take great pride in offering personalized mentoring and advising to our graduate students. Further, I strongly believe that PhD students at Purdue in general, and specifically my graduate students, greatly benefit from close interactions and collaborations with students and faculty from other research groups both inside and outside the School of Mechanical Engineering. I encourage you to surf the ME website and the School of Mechanical Engineering website to learn more about the exciting work being done here at Purdue!