For Applicants
Notice
Prof. Yener and her research group is moving to The Ohio State University. If you're interested in working with her as your PhD advisor, please apply to the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at Ohio State for fall 2020. Please adhere to Ohio State application requirements and deadlines. We are unable to accept students at Penn State at this time.
Undergraduate research applicants
We may have research positions available for outstanding DOMESTIC undergraduate students. These may be positions funded by the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in accordance with our current NSF supported projects. If you are interested in conducting research at WCAN as part of your senior thesis, you may contact Prof. Yener directly for details. You would have to have a solid math background and a keen interest in wireless communication theory and if you are a Penn State student, the research would lead to your Honor's thesis (if you are at a different institution and you are planning a senior thesis, we can coordinate the same with your advisor). At Penn State you would have to have done EE 360 at minimum. Having completed Probability, Wireless Com., EE 460, or math courses are a definite plus.
MS applicants
We have NO funded positions for MS students, and supervise MS theses only for exceptional students who have proven themselves outstanding in the program. If you are already at Penn State, and you would like to be a part of WCAN, a good way to start is taking courses including EE 560, 561, 562, 568, and 580. Generally speaking, it is a good idea to do well in these courses that are core to wireless communications and be prepared with the right background when you approach a professor to work with them.
A general Note for PhD and Postdoc applicants
Our lab's interests are in fundamental science. Currently, we are interested in fundamentals of Network Science, Wireless Communication Networks and in Information Theory. Our research is longterm and consequently, we will primarily be looking for PhD and Postdoc applicants with academic aspirations for their future and the same commitment to fundamental research as ours.
PhD applicants
If you are already at Penn State, the advice above for the MS applicants applies to you as well. In addition, you might consider taking the candidacy exam, as having passed it is a good asset when you are trying to find an advisor.
If you are a new applicant considering WCAN as your research home:
Prof. Yener always welcomes qualified PhD applicants to her supervision. She typically has anywhere from one to four funded PhD positions available every year, so there is no need for you to e-mail Prof. Yener to inquire whether we have any openings prior to your application. We regret that we cannot evaluate pre-applications or respond to individual e-mails. Please note that sending the same e-mail multiple times is not the solution to this problem.
For us to be able to consider you for a PhD position under the supervision of Prof. Yener at WCAN, you first need to apply to the PhD program at the Electrical Engineering Department at Penn State. If you have publications, you may wish to include copies of those or at least a resume listing them. If you would like to be considered for the PhD research assistant position under the supervision of Prof. Yener, you should indicate this in your statement of purpose, so that your application folder is properly routed internally. Also make sure to include your e-mail address, as you will be contacted if there is a potential to go forward towards bringing you into WCAN working with Prof. Yener as your academic advisor.
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage applications from qualified women and minority candidates.
Postdoctoral applicants
Sometimes, we have openings for a postdoc. Such positions are likely funded by grants from NSF, DARPA, or the ARL-CTA, are very competitive, and available to applicants primarily with background in network information theory, network science and interest in fundamental problems. If such a position interests you, please contact Prof. Yener directly with your resume that includes the contact info of at least two references (one being your PhD advisor), and a brief research statement of your accomplishments and what you would like to work on in the next two years that you would be at WCAN. We will get back to you and your references if there is interest on our side.
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage applications from qualified women and minority candidates.
Visiting appointments
We welcome visiting scientists and visiting professor applications. These are typically unpaid positions, and typically are for visitors who are spending their sabbatical with us. We can grant you office/desk space, a courtesy appointment and visa assistance if necessary. If you are interested in such a visit, please contact Prof. Yener directly with your desired dates and your thoughts on what you would like to accomplish during the visit.