Open positions and topics – Dr. Istvan David

Open positions

I have multiple PhD, Master’s, and undergrad positions open.
International students are welcome too. Please indicate your current affiliation in your inquiry.

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 or Master’s).
(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 below).
(3) Optionally: attach a letter of recommendation from a former academic supervisor.
I only process emails that meet both (1) and (2)! We receive tons of unsolicited emails, most of them taking a gunshot approach, copy-pasting research interests from faculty websites into email templates. If you are indeed looking for an answer, please, follow the above process. I promise, I’ll get back to you if you do so.

Our joint ambitions

It’s very easy to work with me: we just have to set our joint ambitions and aim at goals you are comfortable with.
I have published with students in top journals and at top conference venues. I have also prepared students for industry positions who now keep finding success out there. I have worked with theory-oriented students. I have also worked with students who like building tools.

Whatever your ambitions might be, I’m happy to work with you as long as our research interests are at least related. All I expect is good communication. No extra requirements, really!
Motto: It doesn’t have to be much, but it should be honest work.

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.
I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary research. Feel free to contact me even if your background is not in computer science. In such cases, co-supervision with another professor is the usual way to go.

Sustainable systems engineering

▸Theory and foundations
    ▸Modeling languages, ontologies for sustainability (possibility of international co-supervisor)
    ▸Modeling and simulation for sustainability. Multi-paradigm modeling, hybrid co-simulation, causal and acausal simulations, value stream mapping, activity-based costing, etc.
▸Digital twins, Digital thread
    ▸Development and synthesis of Digital Twins (through machine learning, variability, etc)
    ▸Sustainable 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)
    ▸Possibility of co-supervisor with an international professor of business information technology
    ▸Possibility of co-supervision with a professor of economics

Model-driven and model-based engineering

▸Model-driven engineering (MDE)
    ▸Collaborative modeling, especially real-time modeling
    ▸Multi-level modeling, multi-abstraction
    ▸Modeling languages, frameworks, and tools
▸Model-based systems engineering (MBSE)
    ▸Multi-disciplinary design
    ▸Design-space exploration

Simulation

▸Simulation formalisms and tools
▸Discrete event simulation
▸Simulator inference

Empirical methods for software and systems engineering

▸Repository mining
▸Surveys, mapping studies
▸Contributions to survey tools and empirical standards