Information for prospective students

Thanks for your interest in my research group. If you email me about joining my group, as a student, postdoc, or visiting scholar, I will try to reply. However, I receive a lot of these emails, and do not have time to reply to them all. Emails that are clearly mass mailings, and/or are focused on research areas that are not relevant to me will be immediately discarded. If you include the words “languid bubble” in your subject line, then you will be more likely to receive a reply, since it will indicate that you have read this page.

Here are some answers to commonly asked questions.

Are you looking for graduate students?

Sorry, I am not intending to take on additional PhD students for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Are you looking for undergraduate students?

Yes! I am interested in working with Harvard undergraduates. If you are currently a Harvard undergraduate and are interested in getting involved in research (which could be a senior thesis, summer research, or working together during the term), get in touch and we can discuss possibilities. As most of my research uses programming language techniques and abstractions, it is best if you have taken CS 152: Programming Languages, CS 153: Compilers, or similar.

General information for Harvard undergraduates interested in research in Computer Science is available here.

If you are an undergraduate but not at Harvard, there may be a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) available via one of the research projects I am involved with. Please note that I do not advise undergraduates long distance.

How can I join your group?

If you are already at Harvard, stop by my office to chat, or send me an email to arrange a time to meet.

If you have already been admitted to Harvard, get in touch with an email.

If you have not been admitted to Harvard, then please apply through the normal channels. Information about graduate study at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is available here. Applications are due in December, and the graduate admissions committee convenes in early spring to review all applications.

What is your research about?

My research uses programming languages and programming language techniques to help build secure, efficient, and reliable systems. Take a look at some of my recent publications to get a feel for what I work on.

Can I do a summer (or six-month or one-year) internship with you?

Unfortunately I do not typically have such positions available, regardless of whether you are self-funded or not.

I'm a student in another country. Can I do a Ph.D. at Harvard?

Foreign students are able to apply through the normal channels. However, you should make sure you know about the application process, which can take up to a year.

Also, if possible, make sure that the people who are writing your recommendation letters are aware of what admissions committees are looking for in recommendation letters. Shriram Krishnamurthi's Advice to Graduate School Recommendation Letter Writers may be helpful.

Where can I find some more official information about applying to grad school at Harvard?

Take a look at the SEAS page for prospective graduate students, which includes a link to a FAQ.