So you are interested in joining the AVS Lab? This web page shows our AVS lab promotion video which demonstrates the lab facility, as well as lets you hear from a few current and former students about who they are, what they like about research, what their plans are after graduation, etc. This should provide a glimpse into the research life within the AVS lab. This web site contains dedicated web pages on research projects and the published research papers and presentations are available on the journal and conference web pages.
What type of students is the AVS Lab looking For?
Self-Starters and Motivated Researchers
The AVS lab is the home to a large number of outstanding researchers. The expectation is that new Ph.D. students have learned to work independently and are strongly motivated by the broad research areas the lab is engaged in.
Strong Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Background
The researcher should already have had some undergraduate courses on fundamental dynamics, orbital mechanics and/or spacecraft attitude dynamics. Basic linear control is expected from undergraduates, students with MS degrees are expect to have taken a graduate controls and orbits course.
Strong Software Development Skills
Much of astrodynamics research requires strong software development skills. I'm looking for students who not only know Matlab, but also C, C++ and python. Familiarity with GIT and working with large frameworks is a plus. I have hired Computer Science students in the past, in particular for research on astrodynamics simulation research using GPUs or machine learning. Some students have both aerospace and computer science degrees.
Good Interpersonsal and Leadership Skills
The AVS Lab has a research team. In contrasts, my faculty have research groups. We work very closely together to solve challenging problems. This means I need researchers who can share their broad set of experience in a professional manner and work well in a team. Many Ph.D. students end up leading research thrusts in the lab supervising Master and undergraduate level researchers.
Technical Research Interests
I'm looking for students interested in spacecraft dynamics and control in the broadest sense. This can be specific to formation flying, proximity operations, attitude dynamics, complex spacecraft dynamics and perturbations. We also get to work on some actual missions which has transitioned into many research directions, including astrodynamics software development. We extensively use and develop the Basilisk framework for our research. There is very strong interest in spacecraft autonomy and researching how to operate satellites with minimal ground supervision. This ties in machine learning tools into the astrodynamics research. Finally, our lab also investigates charged astrodynamics and how to sense touchlessly charge in space. The later often requires students to have some background, or at least interest, in space physics and the interaction with spacecraft.
Frequently asked questions taken from recruitment interviews
You have a large research group, how often do students get to meet you?
In our department astrodynamics is a very popular topic and most astrodynamics professors have large number of students. I meet very often with my Ph.D. students as they are my primary advising task. We have standing 30 minute individual research meetings every 2 weeks, and in the weeks in-between we meet as a group. We have an AVS slack channel where we communicate a lot across the team, and students can reach out to setup additional meetings as needed. I expect the student to take the initiative to meet, I'm not going to micro-manage the student each day to see if they need my feedback. Despite the size of the group, I feel I provide more access to the doctoral researchers than most faculty do.
How many students do you plan to take on each year?
My current students always laugh where they hear me being asked this question. The answer is, I don't know in advance. It depends a lot of how strong a fit the Ph.D. applicants are, how much funding is available, do student provide their own fellowship funding, etc. Typically I have between 2-4 new students each year.
What are my chances of joining your lab?
Each year I have about 35-45 excellent students with a diverse background apply to my lab. However, only a small number are selected. The selection process is very challenging and it takes a while to find the right fit between the students educational interests as well as the work the lab is engaged in.
Besides strong academics, what else are you looking for?
I always look at the entire application, not just the grades. The grades are very important. But, has the applicant interned in industry or research labs. Have you shown your ability to engage and lead research, not just do well taking course exams. Do you have good technical communication skills as shown in paper writing, proposal writing or giving presentations? Do you have strong leadership potential? And, quite frankly, do show a passion for astrodynamics research.
You mention strong software skills above, how critical is this?
With the research we are doing, especially with spacecraft autonomy and astrodynamics software research this is critical. You may not know all the programming languages mentioned above, but I need demonstrated skill that you can pick up new programing and software frameworks quickly.
Do students have work-life balance in your lab?
Ah, tricky question to answer. It is true that we have a high performing lab that will stretch your time management skills. But, we also have a team of very passionate researchers who are exploring what they love to do. I do try to make sure the students are realistic with their expectation and goals during the first few semester so as not to burn out. However, it is also my goal to gently push you to learn new skills. You should be pursuing a Ph.D. because you want to grow as a researcher. Just like in sports, you don't get better at something by coasting in your comfort zone. The lab has a supportive and collaborative atmosphere where many jointly engage in activities outside of the lab. I do recommend to treat the Ph.D. program as a marathon, not like a sprint.
If I join your lab, what would be my dissertation topic?
I understand that in some programs the faculty secure a project first and then hire a graduate student to do the work. That is not the case in my lab. I may support you as a GRA working on an externally funded project, but that work does not have to be your dissertation topic. Instead, I work closely with the new students to help them develop a doctoral research direction over your first 1-2 years. Just as important as the technical skills, the Ph.D. should be able to develop and lead a research projects. I help guide the student in what are good topics and resources, what are ways to tie diverse educational interests together, etc.
Do I need to know in advance exactly what I want to do for my dissertation
No, that is not required. I often ask this question to gage where your current thoughts are on this topic. However, I am also fully aware that your research interests will evolve as you take graduate courses and dig into a research direction. I do expect the direction to be settled with 1-2 years.
Thanks for your answers. But, faculty always talk well about their lab. Where can I get more information?
Check out the Ph.D. student web page and feel free to reach out to any of them. I also include a list of former students where you can see on their LinkedIn pages where they are. You are free to chat with any of them