Message to Students Interested in Summer Internships with my Group

Note: I will be serving as interim department head through June 2024, and then will be on Sabbatical AY2024/25. As such, I am not taking on new interns at this time.

I receive frequent messages from undergraduate students interested in a summer internship with my group. Before sending such a message, please read the following:

1. Please read my web page, projects, and recent publications to get an idea of what I am doing. Make sure this is a good match for your interests and background before sending a request, and be specific about what you are interested in doing.
2. Decide if you want academic credit for your work, if you are looking for a paid internship, or for an unpaid research experience. If for academic credit, we will need to prepare a proposal. (This writeup is designed for Purdue students, if you are from another institution that will offer credit for your research at Purdue, I will want to do such a proposal in addition to whatever your institution requires.) If for pay (including any sort of travel or expense reimbursement), be aware that funding is limited, and typically falls into the following categories:
   • NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates: While these fall into various types, I am most likely to have supplemental funding on existing grants. Note that these are only available to undergraduate students who are US Citizens or Permanent Residents.
   • External Fellowships: These are most likely available through your own university or private foundations; if you have such a fellowship to support your internship, please make this clear in any letter you send.
   • Research Grant Support: This typically happens only when you have specific skills required by a grant. Such support goes almost exclusively to Purdue students; occasionally an offer may be made to a student elsewhere to foster collaboration on a joint project. Such arrangements will be initiated through direct contact between the faculty involved.
3. If you believe that you are a good match, feel free to email me. Include [READINTERN] in the subject, to make it clear that you have read this statement (and that you have done your homework to see if working with me is a good match for you.) Please place early in this letter a statement that you are eligible for NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates support (US Citizen or Permanent Resident, and interested in an NSF-funded project), or that you do not need financial support from Purdue. Also describe what research you are interested in (be specific). Letters that do not meet these two criteria will indicate that you haven't taken the time/effort to read this page, and will be ignored, leaving me more time to work with students who clearly have taken the time to prepare.

I am always looking for bright new students to work with, and look forward to hearing from you.

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