Info for Prospective Students

I am always looking for bright, highly motivated students interested in pursuing a PhD in my group. The first step before we can discuss a position and financial support, however, is to submit your application to the CWRU graduate school. If the application fee is an issue, don't be shy about requesting a waiver! Our department often has plenty of funds set aside for this.

If you are applying for the Fall semester, I highly recommend submitting your application early, by Jan. 31 if possible. In your personal statement, be sure to indicate why you are interested in attending CWRU and working in my group in particular. Also indicate the Fluid and Thermal Sciences track on your application.

Once your application is submitted, please contact me to let me know, and I will have your application forwarded to me. 
 

There are no firm requirements, but I prefer students with Quantitative/Verbal percentiles of 80/60 or 90/50 or higher on the GRE, even if you are a non-native speaker. That being said, the test scores are only a small part of the total application, your GPA, prior experience (if any), and recommendation letters are weighed more heavily.
 

Generally speaking, no, M.S. students are not supported with research assistantships in EMAE at CWRU. I am, of course, always willing to discuss research in my group as part of your M.S. thesis, and if you decide to pursue a PhD we can discuss financial support at that time.

The best way to learn more about our research is to read our publications. If you can’t access a certain publication, please email me and ask for a copy of the paper!

Please send me an email with a copy of your CV. Tell me why you’re interested in my group, about your prior research experience, and how a postdoc position fits in with your future career goals. The earlier you contact me before you intend to start, the better.

The Case Western Reserve University campus is located in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland, OH. University Circle is home to the Cleveland Orchestra and several world-class museums. The nearby Uptown and Coventry neighborhoods feature dozens of excellent restaurants and many CWRU faculty, students, and staff (including me) enjoy the wonderful experiences that this part of Cleveland has to offer. CWRU is about a 15-minute drive or train ride from downtown Cleveland, the home of several professional sports teams and the shores of Lake Erie. I was an undergraduate student here and currently live on the near-west side of the city - Cleveland is a great place to work and live!

You will get your best impression of what it’s like to work in my lab from my current students, but I’ll do my best to explain my advising philosophy. Choosing your PhD advisor is one of the most significant decisions you will make, so do it carefully! My ultimate goal is for my students and postdocs to be successful. I am fully aware that working in my group is not the “end goal” for anyone, but hopefully it will be a stepping stone towards something greater. I make my best effort to interact with all of my students personally at least weekly through regular meetings to provide mentoring and guidance to help them develop into confident, independent researchers. I put a strong emphasis on understanding the fundamentals, instead of merely learning some new experimental technique. I also place a high value on social interactions outside of the lab, I enjoy getting to know my students!