For Prospective Students

I’m an undergraduate or Master’s student at UCI. Can I work with you?

I’m always happy to work with undergraduate and Master’s students! While we don’t currently have paid positions available, I’m glad to supervise projects for course credit or an undergraduate honors/Master’s thesis if our research interests align. From time to time, there are also ongoing projects where we look for help from undergraduate and Master’s students.

Prior research experience is not required, but I do expect strong technical skills. You should be comfortable working on real-world software projects, not just classroom assignments.

If you’re interested, please fill out this form. We check submissions regularly and will reach out if we find a good fit.

I’m interested in pursuing a PhD. Are you accepting students?

I’m always looking for talented, enthusiastic, and ambitious PhD students. Ideal candidates have strong programming skills and research experience in Software Engineering, Natural Language Processing, and/or Human-Computer Interaction. Apply to UCI’s PhD programs in Informatics or Software Engineering.

Can I email you to set up a meeting before I apply?

I’d recommend waiting until after you’ve submitted your application. A lot can change between now and then, and I’m not able to make any commitments before the admissions process. It’s best to focus on putting together a strong application, and we can connect once it’s been reviewed. I’m unlikely to be able to respond to these emails.

I’m a current UCI PhD student. Can I collaborate with you?

Yes! Email me and let’s talk.

Letters of Recommendation

I did a research project with you. Can you write me a letter of recommendation?

Yes! Please bring this up during one of our meetings or send me an email, and we can discuss the details.

I took one of your courses. Can you write me a letter of recommendation?

I’m happy to write you a letter. However, please keep in mind that a letter from a course instructor is typically based only on your coursework and our interactions during the quarter, so it may not be as strong as one from someone who knows you more closely. If you need a strong letter, I’d recommend reaching out to professors you’ve worked with more extensively, such as a capstone project advisor or a research mentor.

If you’d still like a letter from me, please send me:

  1. A bullet-point list describing the basis for my recommendation, for example:
    • Earned A+ grades on all major assignments
    • Visited office hours frequently
    • Asked many questions to understand the course materials
  2. A list of schools or programs you’re applying to
  3. Submission deadlines for each
  4. Instructions on how I should submit the letter

Please allow at least one month of lead time.

General

Can I email you?

You’re welcome to email me with questions or to express interest, but I may not be able to reply to every message. This FAQ by Yonatan Bisk provides helpful context about faculty email practices.

I emailed you but haven’t heard back.

If it’s been less than two weeks, please be patient — I may still get to it. After two weeks, feel free to send a follow-up — I appreciate the reminder. If I still don’t respond after that, it likely means your question is already addressed somewhere on this page.