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I lead the Socially Embedded Machine Intelligence (SEMI) lab, where we study the social impacts of AI and propose new algorithms to train more reliable and equitable models. There are two main pillars to my research at the moment:

  1. Improving the fairness and robustness properties of foundation models (including LLMs and multi-modal generative models);
  2. Modeling collective behavior of data subjects (everyday people who contribute data to AI systems) and exploring the possibility of socially beneficial coordinated action amongst them.

If these topics interest you, and you think I might be a good mentor, please get in touch after reading the following FAQs:

Are you accepting undergraduate students? I work with undergraduates exclusively from the University of Waterloo. I occasionally hire undergraduates as co-op researchers. I am also available to consult on final-year engineering design projects, especially if they align with my research interests.

Are you accepting Master’s students? Yes. Please note that Waterloo’s current funding structure makes it relatively expensive (specifically from a tuition perspective) for international Master’s students to join my lab. More information about international graduate student funding can be found here. External scholarships such as the Vector Scholarship in AI are also helpful in offsetting tuition costs.

Are you accepting PhD students? Yes. Because the PhD is a larger commitment of time and effort (both for the student and supervisor), the bar for entry is higher. In Canada we expect all prospective PhD students to have already earned a Master’s degree in Engineering or CS. In exceptional cases, prospective students without a Master’s can be considered for direct entry into the PhD program.

Are you accepting postdocs? I do accept postdocs who can secure external funding (if there is mutual interest in working together, I will help you apply for relevant opportunities). I expect prospective postdocs to have developed their own unique research interest, and a track record of publications in machine learning conferences or closely related venues.

How to I get admitted to SEMI? At the graduate level (Master’s or PhD), I am only able to consider your application if you complete both of the following steps

  1. Fill out this Google form to help me learn more about your background and research interests.
  2. Submit an application (“MASc” for Master’s, or PhD) to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Waterloo.

More information on the ECE department’s graduate programs can be found here, and general information on applying to University of Waterloo can be found here.

Getting in touch While I can only accept prospective graduate students who have applied to Waterloo ECE, it may be helpful to get in touch with me, either before or after you apply (step 2 above). My email address is listed on my CV. When emailing me, please include copy of your CV and past transcripts (unofficial transcripts are fine) to give me a sense of your academic background and prior work/research experience. Please include the phrase “brilliant binoculars” in the subject line of your email to indicate you have read this FAQ.

When can I expect to hear back from you?: While I make an effort to engage with prospective students, please note that I cannot respond to every message due to the high volume of inquiries. I am more likely to respond to your email if it contains one or more of the following:

  • Confirmation that you have submitted your information to the google form above;
  • Indication that you have applied (or plan to apply) to the ECE department;
  • Demonstration of an engagement with my papers (tell me which papers you read and what you found interesting, or what was missing);
  • Proposal of research topics that align with the main pillars of my research agenda listed above;
  • Demonstration of an interest in interdisciplinary research (say which other disciplines besides CS/Engineering interest you and why).