Students
This page is dedicated to graduate students interested in joining our research group. Information on our lab and current students can be found here.
Our lab focuses on environmental issues using GISc and Remote Sensing. Graduate students may join us for M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. Students should develop both a novel theoretical approach (based on quantitative modeling) and apply it successfully on an important environmental issue. All lab students are supported by an assistantship that covers tuition and provides a monthly stipend enough to cover everyday expenses (room and board) in the Syracuse area. A high-end computer workstation is also provided and additional computation power if needed is available.
Currently our lab is seeking for M.S. or Ph.D. students interested in large-scale interdisciplinary studies. If you have a research idea feel free to contact me.
Here is some additional information to help you decide:
Step 1: Is this the right place for you?
I accept students interested in fields such as Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Science. My research crosses several disciplines such as computer science, electrical engineering, ecological/environmental engineering and biology.
Step 2: Do you have the necessary background?
Multi-disciplinary research is desired so students with different backgrounds are encouraged to apply. However, prior explosure to either image processing or GISc is necessary. Furthermore, I only accept students with strong quantitative background since you will be joining an engineering department. If you do not like statistics for example this is not the right place for you. Minimum requirements include some basic programming skills (e.g. Matlab, VBasic). Familiarity with ESRI ArcGIS or other similar products is also a plus. Remember we do not produce software engineers so computer skills are only as good as the science behind them.
Step 3: How do I apply?
You can start the formal application process with ESF’s graduate school here. All questions regarding this process should be directed to esfgrad@esf.edu. If you are interested in working with me do not forget to add my name as your major professor on your application with the graduate school.
IN ADDITION to your ESF application, if you are interested in a Teaching or Research Assistantship under my supervision, please send me directly the following:
- A pdf copy of your CV (describing your education, experience, publications and skills).
- Pdf copies of publications you may have.
- A 5-10min video describing your research experience and interests. You can either be sitting down or give a presentation with projected images on the background. You should not be reading from a script, imagine you have just met an engineer and asked you to describe your work in 5 minutes. The video can be in any format (e.g. avi, mpeg, mov, divx).
Pdf files should be emailed directly to me, the video should be uploaded for me to download. You can use this free website to upload the video. Before making the video you could email me a copy of your CV and GRE (and TOEFL if international) scores to let you know if I am interested in your application.
Feel free to contact me for further information, please include at least your research ideas, your CV and your GRE scores so I can advise you better.
Good Luck!
Click here for important frequently asked questions (FAQ)»
- What program would I be joining? The official graduate page for our geospatial graduate program with course listings can be found here.
- How good should my scores be? Typically we accept students with at least 700 Quantitative GRE score and a TOEFL better than 85. These are the minimum numbers, in most cases students have higher scores than that.
- Is it mandatory to submit a video? Yes, unless you can visit our campus for an interview. I do not accept students without it, no exceptions.
- Are the assistantships available to both American and International students? Yes, the assistantships can support highly qualified international students.
- Can you offer me some advice so I can plan my application? For optimal consideration your material should be complete and received by January for Fall admission. Considering all the tests involved (GRE, TOEFL) and the material outlined above students are highly encouraged to start their application process around September.
- What if I missed the January deadline? We accept students on a rolling basis therefore if you have a good idea but have missed the deadline I would suggest you contact me with a short description of your idea, your CV and your GRE scores.
- What should I do if my research ideas do not fit any of the above open positions? If your research belongs in the GISc/RS area and you have a strong quantitative background contact me for more guidance.
- What is your advising style? My job as your advisor is to motivate you to reach your full potential. That translates into hard work for both of us. You will be the major force for the research while I will find the time to advise you (within 1-2 days from your request) and make sure you have everything you need to succeed (e.g. better hardware, attending conferences, etc). A professor’s success comes from the student’s success, therefore it is for everyone’s interest to see you excel in your studies.
- What are the expectations from admitted students? There is a clear expectation from both M.Sc. and Ph.D. students to produce high quality work published in related journals. Our M.Sc. students typically produce 1-2 journal publications and our Ph.D. students target 3-4 journal publications. Students are encouraged to submit their thesis in a manuscript format composed by an introduction, the papers and a summary section. This way papers are easily converted into thesis without too much additional work.
- Do you have more information for accepted students? Our department has a page dedicated to that here.
