Join SIAS
Bring your own questions.
Build what does not exist yet.
FALL 2027 · PHD OPPORTUNITIES
We’re actively recruiting across all SIAS research directions.
We have 2 openings in SIAS through Civil and Environmental Engineering. Additionally, Yue Zhao, Mengyuan Li, and I are recruiting up to 6 PhD students for Fall 2027 within a collaborative research cluster across departments. We bring together autonomous systems, trustworthy AI, and systems security, with a shared interest in building intelligent systems that work reliably and securely in the real world. Students can exchange ideas, explore different research directions, and learn from multiple faculty. Co-advising is an option, not a requirement.
I plan to attend INFORMS (San Francisco), CoRL (Austin), NeurIPS (Atlanta), and TRB (Washington, DC) this application season. If our work resonates with you, please start with the PhD interest form below and include any conference plans. I’ll review submissions and follow up by email where there is a strong research fit to arrange a conversation or coffee chat.
Conference attendance is not required. The interest form does not replace the official USC PhD application.
To join us
Step 1
Find your research connection.
We study how intelligent agents learn, decide, and act together—and how their interactions shape the world we share. SIAS connects transportation and civil engineering with control, computer science, robotics, optimization, and game theory. Tell us what you want to understand, what you have tried, and what you hope to build next.
Explore our research ↗
DOCTORAL STUDY
PhD researchers
Connect a question you care about to a SIAS research direction. Describe your preparation and what you would like to investigate; a focused starting point is more useful than a broad list of AI topics.
Prepare
- Your CV, intended entry term, and intended USC doctoral program.
- A short research-interest statement and one example of relevant work, explaining your own contribution.
- A paper or project from SIAS that interests you, and the question it raises for you.
A lab inquiry is separate from the USC graduate application. Submit the official application by the university deadline; do not wait for a reply from the lab.
Official PhD requirements & deadlines ↗
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Master’s & undergraduate researchers
Tell us what you want to learn and how you could contribute. Relevant preparation may come from a class project, software, mathematical modeling, experiments, or prior research.
Prepare
- Your university, degree program, year, and expected graduation date.
- Your CV or brief background, relevant coursework, and one work sample if available.
- Your proposed start date, duration, weekly availability, and whether you will be at USC.
Explain your goals and any requirements for research credit or paid work. Project scope, supervision, compensation, and credit would need to be discussed for a specific opportunity.
RESEARCH COLLABORATION
Postdoctoral & visiting researchers
Describe a research connection that brings our expertise together. A concise idea, a clear account of your previous work, and realistic timing help us assess a potential collaboration.
Prepare
- Your CV and up to two representative publications or projects.
- A short proposed research direction and your anticipated contribution.
- Your current affiliation, proposed dates, and any fellowship or home-institution support, if applicable.
An expression of interest does not establish an appointment or funding commitment. Any opportunity depends on research fit, resources, and university arrangements.
