Open positions

I have PhD and Master’s positions open. For topics in digital twinning, see the 2024 September call.

Topics

Below is a selection of my research topics. Everything is very much flexible and the eventual topic should be mutually agreed on. Feel free to send me an email and suggest your topic of interest. A sample of recently offered topics is available here.

Sustainable systems engineering

▸Modeling and simulation for sustainability. Multi-paradigm modeling, hybrid co-simulation, causal and acausal simulations, value stream mapping, activity-based costing, etc.
▸Development and synthesis of Digital Twins (through machine learning, variability, etc) for sustainability
▸Sustainability concerns of Digital Twins (energy efficiency, evolvability, interoperability, systems of Digital Twins, etc)
▸Applications: energy efficiency, renewables, smart cities, environmental impact modeling, controlled environment agriculture
▸Organizational aspects of sustainable systems engineering (especially for students with a background or interest in business information systems and/or management)

Model-driven and model-based engineering

▸Collaborative modeling, especially real-time modeling
▸Multi-level modeling, multi-abstraction
▸Modeling languages, frameworks, and tools
▸Multi-disciplinary design
▸Design-space exploration (DSE)

Simulation

▸Simulation formalisms and tools
▸Discrete event simulation
▸Simulator inference by machine learning

Empirical methods for software and systems engineering

▸Repository mining, surveys, mapping studies
▸Contributions to survey tools and empirical standards (e.g., automation by LLM)

Other topics

▸Machine learning and AI
    ▸Especially reinforcement learning, few-shot learning, LLMs, and transfer learning
▸Complex event processing (CEP)
▸Process modeling, optimization, automation (Robotic Process Automation, etc)

How to apply?

Choose whatever best describes you:

I am currently affiliated with McMaster University and looking for a grad studies supervisor (PhD or Master’s).
Reach out to me directly; ideally, find me in my office (see my contact info).
Also apply through https://applygrad.mcmaster.ca/portal/start_your_app indicating my name in your application. Applications for the 2024 Fall term will open in November.

I am currently affiliated with McMaster University and looking for undergrad internship, research assistant position, TA’ship, etc.
Reach out to me directly; ideally, find me in my office (see my contact info).

I am currently not affiliated with McMaster University, but I’d like to join for graduate studies (PhD).
I’m only taking PhD-level international students currently.
(1) Apply here: https://applygrad.mcmaster.ca/portal/start_your_app. Indicate my name in your application. Applications for the 2024 Fall term will open in November.
(2) Reach out to me in an email
     -subject: “External student interested in grad studies”;
     -attach a screenshot of (1);
     -attach a CV in PDF;
     -attach a brief letter of motivation (half page maximum) in which you outline a research topic you’d like to work on with me. The topic has to align with my research interests (see above).
(3) Optionally: attach a letter of recommendation from a former academic supervisor.