How to become a student/postdoc/visiting scholar

  Here is a list of frequently asked questions with answers. Please read carefully before contacting me.

1. Q: What type of graduate students do you take?

    A: To be my student, you must satisfy all the university requirements (like the minimum TOEFL requirement). In addition, you should

2. Q: Can I come to see you and introduce myself?

    A: In recent years, I have started to interview (whenever possible) all prospective students. The purpose of the oral interview is to assess the applicant's academic background as well as communication skills. Detailed technical questions will be asked during the interview. For overseas students, telephone interviews may be conducted. You should not come to my office and expect to have an interview without prior invitation. An oral interview will be conducted only if it is pre-arranged.

3. Q: How/when to apply?

    A: If you believe you are qualified, you can formally apply by contacting the graduate secretary for an application kit or simply download the forms from here. Although we accept students to start only in September or January each year, the department accepts graduate applications almost all year round. Your application will be screened and ranked first by a departmental graduate admissions committee. All successfully screened applications will be made available to faculty members for possible admission. You should contact graduate secretary for all application related questions. If you wish to work with me, you should indicate my name in your application.

4. Q: Will I receive financial support? How much is it?

   A: Currently all my students receive financial support through either NSERC scholarship, OGS scholarship, teaching assistantship, or other university/government scholarships. Self-funding (e.g., foreign government scholarship) is welcome, but it does not increase your chance of being accepted. Exact amount of funding varies from student to student, but it will be enough for you to get a student visa and to support an average student life. In the past, some students in my group have received sizeable extra research stipend in recognition of their outstanding academic performance.

5. Q: How do I apply for a postdoctoral/visiting scholar position?

   A: You should send me your resume electronically with a detailed list of publications, research/educational experience and sample publications, and suggest a few names of references who can comment on your research accomplishment and communication skills. If I find your background/record interesting, I will contact you for further details/interview. Applications for postdoc/visitor positions are accepted all year round. The exact level of financial support will depend on your research experience, academic accomplishment, and the availability of funds.

6. Q: Do you take any summer students? How do I apply?

   A: I sometimes take summer students from the 3rd year class or above. In rare cases, I also take exceptional 2nd year students. These students usually work with me or my graduate students in some research projects, like collecting/processing data, running computer simulations/literature survey etc. The students must have an outstanding transcript and a desire to learn the advanced concepts in research. They must possess good communication skills. A project report is usually required at the end of the summer job. To apply, simply circulate your transcript and resume to my attention and book an appointment through Fran to discuss the possibility.

7. Q: How large is your group?

    A: It varies from year to year. I try to keep my group to be around 10, with 8 students, 1 or 2 postdocs, or 1 visiting scholar. This way I can interact sufficiently with my group members.

8. Q: What do your students/postdocs do after finishing working with you?

   A: They mostly go to R/D positions in high tech companies or research labs. Some have got academic positions in universities.

   This page is late updated 11/14/2001