Recruiting

1. Graduate Research Assistantships
2. DAGSI Fellowships
3. Graduate Teaching Assistantships
4. Master’s Thesis Supervision
5. Research Projects
6. Independent Studies
7. Departmental Honors Theses
8. Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Scholars
9. Undergraduate Research Assistant
10. Undergraduate Scientific Programmer
11. Undergraduate Lab Manager

Graduate Research Assistantships

A Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) is a funded position. This salary is usually $27,000 annual stipend, disbursed monthly, and 6 credit hours of tuition support. GRAs complete project work (i.e., a line of research that pertains to the funding source) and complete lab work (i.e., a line of research that generally cross-cuts multiple topics and supports the lab’s research themes). The lab is primarily looking for students intending to complete their PhD.

These positions are only open to students that have completed at least one of the following:

• has received an A mark in Introduction to Knowledge Engineering
• has satisfactorily completed an exploratory research project under my supervision
• has satisfactorily completed an independent study, each under my instruction
• has completed a Master’s thesis on a topic related to the lab’s research topics.

Unforunately, there are currently no open positions in this category.

DAGSI Fellowships

Each year, the Defense Associated Graduate Student Innovators (DAGSI) program, as an arm of the Strategic Ohio Council of Higher Education (SOCHE) solicits proposals on a range of topics. There are generally one or two that pertain to the lab’s research themes.

Currently (2024), the following are pertinent topics:

• RX24-22: Machine Learning for Polymer Solution Processing and Design
• RX24-26: Creation of Materials, Manufacturing and Design Knowledge Representation via Self-assembly of Ontology Design Patterns

If you are interested in one of these topics, please contact me at cogan(dot)shimizu(at)wright(dot)edu.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

These positions are only open to students which have completed a course I have previously instructed and received at least an A mark. Final determination of GTAs, however, is made by the department.

Unfortunately, there are currently no open positions in this category.

Master’s Thesis Supervision

If you are interested in completing your Master’s Thesis in computer science and you are interested in knowledge engineering or neurosymbolic artificial intelligence (some example theses are given in the research page), please reach out to me at cogan(dot)shimizu(at)wright(dot)edu.

• During a Master’s Thesis can count 6 credit hours of research towards your Program of Study, as well as an additional 3 credit hours of independent study. This means a reduction of 9 credit hours of formal coursework.

Research Projects

If you are interested in collaborating or conducting an exploratory (low pressure) project regarding one of the topics in the research page, please feel free to reach out to me at cogan(dot)shimizu(at)wright(dot)edu. Please note that this is not funded, does not count as an independent study, and does not count as research hours! This is purely if you have personal interest in the topics.

Independent Studies

Please see the research page for possible topics. These can be scoped down to an appropriate level of effort and commitment.

Requesting an Independent Study

An independent study will always consist of a kick-off meeting at the start of the semester where we outline the specific trajectory of the course plan. It will be followed by 10 updates over the course of the semester where you will update progress on the particular topic. These updates will be brief, oral presentations coupled with a few (well-made) slides. A final report will be due at the end of the semester.

There are several example topics on the research page. These should be used as an initial guideline or selection before initiating the following steps:

1. Contact me via e-mail or schedule a meeting via my booking page.
2. Please be prepared to discuss a topic
   1. If e-mail, please include your proposed topic(s) description in the e-mail.
   2. If scheduled meeting, please be prepared to discuss a specific topic or set of topics for the Independent Study.

To file the independent study, after we have agreed on a topic, please take the following steps:

1. Acquire the Graduate Consent form.
2. Fill out the personal information.
3. The Independent Study will be only three credit hours.
4. Indicate if this is an Undergraduate- or Graduate-level Independent Study.
5. Fill out the topic, as discussed.
6. Deliverables: Written Report (1), Oral Report (10).
7. Method of Evaluation: Review of Deliverables.
8. Grading Method: Letter grade.
9. Send to me for final signature.
10. Submit form to department office.

Departmental Honors Theses

The lab welcomes high-performing students that wish to complete their Departmental Honors Thesis (DHT). You will have access to the lab’s resources and support structures during the research period. A DHT comprises two 3-credit hour indenpendent studies, with the intent to (a) conduct a research project and (b) give formal presentation over a written deliverable encapsulating the research project. The lab is primarily interested in DHT topics as listed in the research page. If you are interested in completing a DHT against one of those topics under the (collective) supervision of the lab, reach out to me at cogan(dot)shimizu(at)wright(dot)edu.

Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Scholars

The lab is committed to maintaining a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment and membership, as well as improving such qualities in the broader computer science ecosystem. As such, we always welcome new applicants. This is a competitive process, and one must choose a research topic from the research page and apply to the program. Successful award is a $2,250 disbursal to your bursar’s account, and should be interpreted as 10hr/week appointment for the semester.

If you are interested in joining the lab to conduct research under the (collective) supervision of the lab, reach out to me at cogan(dot)shimizu(at)wright(dot)edu.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Occasionally, the lab requires additional personpower to complete fundamental research tasks. This might include data collection, literature review, and experimental design and execution. Unfortunately, there are currently no open positions in this category.

Undergraduate Scientific Programmer

Occasionally, the lab has a need for expertise related to implementation of software systems, tools, or other artefacts. This role will require a high-performing student capable of independent discovery and execution of deliverables. The wage range is expected to be $13-$17/hr (depending on experience) at 10 hrs/week. There is an open position in this category! Please apply on Handshake.

Undergraduate Lab Manager

Occasionally, the lab requires additional personpower to complete administrative duties. This might include helping schedule events, send and organize communications, Unfortunately, there are currently no open positions in this category.