Programming Systems Group @ University of Kansas

Why Programming Systems @ KU?

When you are deciding where do you want to do your PhD, an important consideration should be why is that university or research group a right fit for you, and what that city/state offers to you?

Research Group

• We have a strong emphasis on building practical tools, grounded in theory, and evaluating our work on real software projects.

• We have a culture of open collaboration and discussions. You will be encouraged to share and and present your ideas to the wider research community worldwide. I am invested in your research and we are in the process of research together.

• At the same time, I encourage you to take autonomy and drive research projects on your own. In fact, many projects we are working on started from the germ of an idea proposed by students. You’ll have the opportunity to execute your vision while I mentor you to become a researcher.

• We do research that is routinely published at top-tier places. In fact, our work has earned KU a spot in top places to do Programming Languages research on CSRankings.org, an open-ranking system that lists universities directly based on the amount of top-tier research they produce.

Life at KU and Lawrence, KS

Choosing a right university/city is as important as choosing a right advisor because you are going to spend next 5-6 years of your life in that university/city. I strongly believe PhD is not your life. It is one aspect of your life, and you should have a life beyond your lab! It can be hard to focus on research if you do not have something to keep you going for years.

Here are some reasons (among many others), why the University of Kansas (KU) and Lawrence, Kansas could be a great place for you:

• KU is the flagship university of the state of Kansas and the member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). According to Carnegie Classification of higher education, KU is ranked Research I (R1) as the university with the highest levels of research activity.

• Almost all the US universities offer a fully funded PhD, but then what is so special about KU? The cost of living in Lawrence, Kansas is significantly less in comparison to states like California, Washington, New York, Pennsylvania, and so on. As a PhD student, you can own a car and live in a studio apartment, and still save money.

• Lawrence is a very progressive and diverse place with a fiery Civil War history. It boasts an authentic main street packed with locally-owned boutiques, chef-owned restaurants, live music, and a vibrant art scene. You’ll never run out of things to do here! In case you do, Kansas City – one of the largest midwestern metropolitan area – is a mere 45 minutes away.