Graduate Students
If you are interested in applying to the PSU Computer Science graduate program, please check the information on our Graduate Program. In your application, mention Dr. Primal Pappachan as a potential advisor and your application will be routed to me for consideration. Graduate admissions are done by Grad admissions committee that processes all applications and decides on admissions for the entire department. Individual faculty members may not accept students on their own but you can reach out to Dr. Primal by email if you are interested in applying and potentially being part of the DIPr lab. Please see details below on what to include in this email.
Funding: PhD students typically obtain funding. All of your tuition and fees will be paid and you will be paid a monthly stipend.
Masters students
Master’s students who are interested in conducting research in the lab are welcome to apply, provided they are in their second quarter of study. Applicants should be able to commit to dedicating a minimum of 10 hours per week to doing research. This opportunity is ideal for students looking to gain hands-on research experience and contribute to ongoing projects.
Funding: M.S. students are not typically funded. In some rare instances, it may be possible to pay the MS student an hourly salary. These opportunities are extremely rare and are reserved to support students who have been in the lab for 1 or more quarters.
Undergraduate Students
Students majoring in Computer Science are encouraged to apply. Applicants should be able to commit to dedicating a minimum of 10 hours per week to doing research. This opportunity is ideal for students looking to gain hands-on research experience and contribute to ongoing projects.
- Previous research experience is not required.
- Knowledge of programming languages (e.g., Java, Python), Web development (e.g., HTML, Javascript, React), and Databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) are a plus. Demonstrated coding skills is a plus.
- Strong communication skills (written and oral) are a plus.
Funding: Similar to M.S. students, undergraduate students generally do not receive funding. Limited opportunities may be available, typically reserved for those who have been in the lab for more than one quarter.
You may also apply through the Maseeh College Undergraduate Research & Mentoring Program (URMP) listing Dr. Primal Pappachan as a faculty mentor. This 10-week program includes a stipend.
Highschool students
For high school students in the Portland Metropolitan area, please apply through programs such as Institute for Computing in Research or Saturday Academy and mention your interest in working in Dr. Primal Pappachan and DIPr lab.
How do I apply?
Ph.D. applicants: When reaching out to Dr. Primal after completing the graduate application, please include your: (1) CV (including a link to your GitHub profile and website), (2) a description of your previous research experience and interests, and (3) specific information about which research projects in the lab interests you and why. Emails without these information may be ignored.
M.S. applicants: This only applies to currently enrolled M.S. students. After going through projects in the lab, if you are interested in applying to be part of the lab, send an email including: (1) your resume (PDF), (2) unofficial copy of your first year transcript (PDF), and (3) few paragraphs explaining why you’d like to work in our lab. To write this well, I suggest you look at some of our previous publications to orient yourself to our current projects. Make the subject of your email Masters Application” and send this to Dr. Primal. You are welcome to join the weekly group meetings (see Expectations) to learn more about the ongoing projects and connect with lab members.
Undergrad applicants: This only applies to currently enrolled undergrad students. After going through projects in the lab, if you are interested in applying to be part of the lab, send an email including: (1) your resume (PDF), (2) unofficial copy of your transcript (PDF); freshman can send high school transcript (PDF), and (3) few paragraphs explaining why you’d like to work in our lab. To write this well, I suggest you look at some of our previous publications to orient yourself to our current projects. Make the subject of your email “Undergrad Application” and send this to Dr. Primal. You are welcome to join the weekly group meetings (see Expectations) to learn more about the ongoing projects and connect with lab members.