Prospective Students

I’m actively looking for highly motivated individuals at all levels—including Ph.D. students, master’s students, undergraduates, and postdoctoral researchers—to join my research group. If you’re interested, please complete this application form to register. I’ll get notified when you submit your response and follow up if there is an opportunity that aligns with your background and interests. Please feel free to email me with any additional questions, but I may not be able to respond to every inquiry individually. For more detailed information about current opportunities, please see the relevant section below:

Prospective Ph.D. Students

I am actively recruiting motivated Ph.D. students interested in autonomous driving and robotics. Depending on your background, visa status, and personal preference, you may start in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026. I will also be recruiting students during the regular application cycle in December 2025 for Fall 2026 admission.

Applicants should hold a B.S. degree in a related field prior to the start of Ph.D., including (but not limited to) Applied Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or Systems Engineering. While not required, applicants with background and experience in control, AI/ML, or robotics are particularly encouraged to apply, for example:

  • Proficiency in programing (e.g., python, C++) and learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX).
  • Hands-on experience implementing and deploying computational algorithms on hardware platforms (e.g., mobile robots, autonomous vehicles).
  • Knowledge and prior project or research experience in related topics, such as autonomous driving, robot navigation, human robot-interaction, imitation and reinforcement learning, human-in-the-loop learning, foundation models, diffusion models, motion planning and control, etc.
Master’s and Undergraduate Students

If you are currently at UCLA—or will be starting in Fall 2025—and are interested in working with me, please fill out the application form to register your interest. If you are interested in a summer research internship (whether affiliated with UCLA or not), please submit the application form by March 1st of the year you wish to intern. As with Ph.D. applicants, prior experience in related areas is a plus but not required. If you’re enthusiastic about autonomous driving and robotics and are motivated to learn, feel free to reach out!

Postdoctoral Scholars

Applicants should hold a Ph.D. degree in a related field prior to the start of the postdoc appointment., including (but not limited to) Applied Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or Systems Engineering. When filling out the application form, please also submit a 1-2 page research statement summarizing your past and current research experiences, and future research interests, especially directions you would like to pursue during your postdoc).